Loss of Howard Mudd, Tom Moore would mean end of an era for Indianapolis Colts

Howard Mudd and Tom Moore are apparently at varying degrees of closeness to retiring from the Indianapolis Colts and the NFL.

 

This would mean the end of an era for the team.

 

And it would mean a very uncertain future.

 

Mudd, the Colts' offensive line coach for the past 11 years, and Moore -- the team's offensive coordinator for the same amount of time -- have been critical parts of the franchise for more than a decade, key parts of one of the NFL's most productive offenses and successful franchises. Mudd has turned in his retirement papers, according to NFL Coaches Association Executive Director Larry Kennan, who says Moore is seriously considering doing the same.

 

The issue is a recent change in the NFL pension plan for non-players.

 

Mudd is upset about the issue and Kennan -- who Mudd has authorized to speak for him -- said Mudd's principles have pushed him toward ending the NFL's longest active assistant coaching career. Kennan is not authorized to speak for Moore, but he has told ESPN and the Indianapolis Star that Moore is seriously considering retirement.

 

Kennan said the NFL owners' actions regarding the pension were wrong, and apparently Mudd agrees deeply enough to walk away.

 

If he does, and if Moore follows him, it would be a change that rivals in significance to the loss of Head Coach Tony Dungy in January and the ascension of Jim Caldwell to the head position.

 

Yes, this is that important.

 

Notice I didn't use the words "tragic" or "franchise-threatening," because I don't think anything that has happened offseason is dramatic on that scale and I don't think losing Moore or Mudd would be, either. Yes, losing Dungy was important, but there is no indication that Caldwell -- a disciplined, focus, wise leader -- will have anything close to a negative impact.

 

Losing Mudd and Moore hits very nearly as close to the heart of the organization as losing Dungy. Four years before Dungy was hired in 2002, Colts Owner and Chief Executive Officer Jim Irsay hired Bill Polian as the team's president. Soon thereafter, Mudd and Moore joined then-Head Coach Jim Mora's staff. While Mora was fired following the 2001 season, there never was a doubt that Mudd and Moore would stay. Together, they had helped form an offensive system that already was one of the NFL's best, and for 11 years, they have been the primary planners and thinkers behind an offense that three-time Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning has directed to nine postseason appearances and a Super Bowl victory following the 2006 season.

 

Manning has spoken often of the importance of not only Moore, but Mudd, and I have spoken to Manning often over the last five years of the importance of being in the same offensive system with the same coordinator his entire career. It long has been Manning's belief that his singular association with Moore -- by far the longest active quarterback-coordinator relationship in the NFL -- has been a huge reason for his success. Moore early on entrusted Manning to make decisions at the line of scrimmage, and early in Manning's career the respected Moore supported Manning. Manning long has held Moore in justifiable esteem and respect. He never has had to relearn an offensive system and never has had to relearn a new coordinator's language. He has been able to start from a deep understanding of the offense each offseason and add details and wrinkles to that system, an advantage that necessarily has kept the Colts well ahead of most other offenses -- and more importantly, other defensive coordinators -- for years.

 

Now, none of this means the Colts won't be successful without Moore and Mudd. Caldwell spent seven years as an assistant with Moore, and wide receivers coach Clyde Christensen -- the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator in 2001 and Moore's likely replacement should the latter retire -- has spent seven years with Moore as well. Assistant offensive line coach Pete Metzelaars has been groomed to be the line coach for several seasons, and having coached under Mudd for five seasons doubtless believes in Mudd's theories.

 

Still, the losses would be key, mainly because they would strike at the core longterm operating philosophy of the franchise. No two assistants have the experience or the respect within the building as Moore and Mudd. The offensive roster always has been built around their abilities and their opinions long have had an influence on personnel decisions. Specifically, the Colts long have been able to select offensive linemen late in the draft because Mudd has been able to develop late-round and undrafted lineman such as Jake Scott, Jeff Saturday, Rick DeMulling and Ryan Diem into big-time players.

 

Just how much the loss would felt and how soon is impossible to tell. The gut feeling here is the Colts would still be successful because this is a stable franchise with a stable president, stable quarterback and solid head coach, and if any organization can withstand such losses, this one is it.

 

Still, whatever the impact, it would be the end of an era.

 

And at minimum, it would create an uncertain future.