Jim Irsay Bizarrely Compares Colts Coach Shane Steichen To The Legendary Don Shula

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has said some wild things over the years, so nothing should really surprise us. But his comments about coach Shane Steichen certainly raised some eyebrows on Saturday.

"I really think that we really hit the jackpot with him," Irsay said. "He’s just an outstanding football mind who demands excellence. But, the players just love and respect him. It’s going to be interesting as time unravels to see what he can do."

Of course, it's not unusual for a team owner to speak highly of his head coach. But on the broadcast for the Colts' preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals, Irsay took his praise for Steichen a step further — even comparing him to one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time.

"It’s remarkable and I don’t know why, I’m not trying to put too much pressure on him, but Don Shula’s name kind of rings a bell with him a little bit," Irsay said. "He’s so intense and attention to detail as well."

Shula is the NFL’s winningest head coach, compiling 347 wins with the then-Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins from 1963 to 1995. He led the Dolphins to two Super Bowl wins, including Super Bowl VII, which capped off their undefeated 1972 season.

Jim Irsay Is Excited About Shane Steichen In Indy

So no offense to Steichen — who is entering his second year in Indianapolis — but he certainly has a long way to go before he reaches that sort of legend status.

But he's off to a good start. Steichen helped lead the Colts to a 9-8 record in his first year and was in contention to win the AFC South in the final week of the season. And that was without his starting quarterback, Anthony Richardson, who missed most of the year with a shoulder injury.

Colts owner Jim Irsay compared 39-year-old Shane Steichen to late Pro Football Hall of Famer Don Shula.

(Getty Images and USA TODAY Sports)

Richardson is healthy now, though, and so is Indy's All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor. So it'll be fun to see what Steichen can do with all of those weapons at his disposal.

"It’s really exciting," Irsay said. "You know the speed factor, how important that is. I don’t know if you’ve seen a combination like this before."

Steichen & Co. will have a chance to live up to the hype on Sept. 8 when they open their season against the division-rival Houston Texans. And hey, Shane, only 338 wins to go until you catch Coach Shula!