The Colts recently interviewed one of the ascending young defensive coaches in the league for their defensive coordinator vacancy.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Indianapolis Colts interviewed current Cleveland Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda for their open defensive coordinator job:
The #Colts interviewed #Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda today for their defensive coordinator job, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 10, 2025
The 43-year-old spent the past two seasons as the Browns safeties coach, having previously served as Utah State’s defensive coordinator and safeties coach (2021-22) among his prior collegiate coaching stops.
Banda’s considered a defensive up-and-comer among NFL coaching circles.
With the Browns this past season, he coached the likes of Juan Thornhill, Grant Delpit, and former Colts veteran safety Rodney McLeod among others.
#Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda started playing college football in his mid-20s. He worked as a bartender at night and slept on the locker room floor before AM lifts.
The relentlessness and work ethic he learned from his dad has gotten him here. https://t.co/CBRdHtK1Mu
— Dan Labbe (@dan_labbe) August 7, 2023
While both of the Colts defensive coordinator candidates they’ve reportedly otherwise interviewed, Steve Wilks and Lou Anarumo, are veteran coaches, Banda appears to be bit more of a young question mark, but not without considerable coaching upside—and someone who may only continue to ascend in the pro coaching ranks to even potentially NFL head coach.
It’s likely that Indianapolis will bring in at least a few more coaching candidates for their defensive coordinator vacancy, and it’ll be interesting to see who the franchise ultimately lands on after parting ways with veteran Gus Bradley earlier this week.
During Friday’s end-of-season press conference, Colts GM Chris Ballard did indicate that the team may try to have a more aggressive defense than the more traditional Cover 2/Cover 3 zone coverage schemes that we’ve seen from the Colts past two defensive coordinators:
On if there’s value on being aggressive on defense. I think Holder was asking if they would consider a scheme that relied more heavily on blitzing- think he would have gotten a better answer if he would have asked specifically about a scheme that brings pressure rushing 5+ pic.twitter.com/3oM9T5pZZp
— Not Chris Shepherd’s Burner Account (@NotShepsBurner) January 10, 2025
