-
Stephen HolderESPN
INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts have an interim head coach who has never coached above the high school level, and now they have a playcaller who has never previously performed his new role.
Passing game specialist/assistant quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier will assume playcalling duties for the team under interim head coach Jeff Saturday, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday. The news was first reported by NFL Network.
Saturday said during a news conference on Monday that he had been interviewing current staff members throughout the day to determine who might be the best fit to be the playcaller. The role was previously held by former head coach Frank Reich, who was fired by the team on Monday.
The team also considered quarterbacks coach Scott Milanovich as a candidate to call plays, according to a source, before ultimately turning to Frazier. Milanovich had been a playcaller in the Canadian Football League and was the playcaller for the Jacksonville Jaguars while serving as their interim playcaller during the final five weeks of the 2018 season.
Frazier, 30, is close to Reich, an ordained minister who officiated at Frazier’s wedding. Reich leaned heavily on Frazier while he was the assistant to the head coach in 2018-19 before promoting him to quality control coach in 2020 and assistant quarterbacks coach in 2021.
Frazier has an undergraduate degree in computer science and is considered among the leaders on the staff in the use of technology and data. He also has worked closely behind the scenes the past year-plus with Sam Ehlinger, who will continue to be the starting quarterback. A former quarterback at Murray State, Frazier brings experience at the position.
The Colts visit the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.