The Indianapolis Colts suffered a major loss to their defense when cornerbacks coach Jonathan Gannon was hired away as the Defensive Coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles. That void was going to be a massive one to fill as Gannon had a major role in the resurrection of Xavier Rhodes’ career and the development of other defensive backs on the roster. For the Colts, a team with Super Bowl aspirations, the replacement had to be someone who wouldn’t be a step back in any capacity from a coach like Gannon.
Surprisingly, the Colts opted to hire from the college ranks as Appalachian State DB Coach James Rowe was given the role.