From the studio to the sidelines?
Report: Former Uconn QB Orlovsky discussed coaching openings with Panthers, Colts
Former Uconn quarterback and Shelton native Dan Orlovsky reportedly discussed NFL coaching openings before deciding to remain at ESPN, according to his colleague Adam Schefter.
Schefter tweeted on Wednesday that Orlovsky, who currently works as an ESPN analyst and is ubiquitous on the network during football season, “discussed prominent offensive coaching roles” with the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts.
“It’s not the first time and likely won’t be the last,” Schefter wrote in his tweet.
Orlovsky, 39, is one of ESPN’S most visible football analysts, appearing on everything from “First Take” to “NFL Live,” to providing color commentary on college football games.
He has been linked with NFL openings before, with Schefter reporting in 2019 that the Green Bay Packers showed interest in adding him to their offensive staff, and in 2020 that several teams had reached out to gauge Orlovsky’s interest in leaving ESPN for an NFL job.
Schefter wrote in 2020 that Orlovsky had developed a passion for television and “it would have to be a perfect mix of circumstances to get him to even consider leaving ESPN.”
The former Uconn quarterback
played in the NFL from 2005-17 and made a career as a trusted, reliable backup. He made his first foray into coaching when he worked as a student assistant at Uconn under his former coach Randy Edsall in the spring of 2017 while taking
classes to complete his degree.
The Colts hired Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as their new head coach on Tuesday, while the Panthers hired former Colts head coach Frank Reich as their new boss on Jan. 26.