Colts fan starts petition to stop team from hiring Saturday

Jeff Saturday was a fan favorite when he played for the Indianapolis Colts.

Maybe not so much these days. After going 1-7 as the interim coach and being brought in for a second interview to keep the job next fall, one Colts fans started an online petition to stop Saturday’s candidacy. It had received nearly 3,000 signatures by Thursday.

“We as Colts fans will always love the memories of the SB XLI team; we love the former players and the people they’ve become, but we don’t want Jeff Saturday as the head coach of this team going forward,” the petition read. “Please hire someone with experience and save your fan base from revolting and losing interest.”

Saturday left his job as n ESPN studio analyst in November to replace the fired Frank Reich. Owner Jim Irsay brought back Saturday, Peyton Manning’s longtime center and a member of the Colts Ring of Honor, though he had no experience coaching at the college or pro level.

The result: After winning his first game, Saturday lost the last seven in a historically poor showing for an interim coach. The Colts finished 4-12-1 and earned the No. 4 overall draft pick.

But Saturday faces an abundance of challengers.

General manager Chris Ballard interviewed more than a dozen candidates through the first round of interviews and Saturday got his second one Wednesday.

Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero was interviewed Thursday.

Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, the former Buccaneers head coach and Falcons defensive coordinator, was scheduled to go Friday.