Few coaches in the modern NFL form as strong of a bond with their city as Chuck Pagano did with Indianapolis.
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That’s not a knock on today’s leaders in the NFL. Coaching is a volatile career — especially in professional football. Fanbases go from loving you one day to loathing you the next. Pagano, however, was different.
No matter how the Colts did on Sunday, Pagano remained a beloved figure in Indiana. Sure, there were plenty of criticisms of his decision-making and leadership style, but that never went further than the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. Part of it goes back to Pagano’s fight with Leukemia in 2012. The city rallied around him and helped raise nearly $5 million dollars toward cancer research.
Even after the Colts fired Pagano following this season, the #CHUCKSTRONG page on the Colts website remains active and encourages fans to donate to the Indiana University Simon Cancer Center in Indianapolis.
So it comes as no surprise that Pagano would take the time to pen a thank-you letter to the city. That letter ran in a full page ad in Sunday’s IndyStar. It’s a really heartfelt message from a coach who gave everything he had to a city that gave it right back.
Page 3C, IndyStar. #chuckstrong pic.twitter.com/AYnu1b11Bu
— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar) January 14, 2018
Pagano’s letter hits all the right points and he even expresses sorrow at not getting a Super Bowl victory for the Colts.
It’s a classy move and certainly no matter where he goes next, Pagano will always be welcome back in Indianapolis.
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Blake Schuster is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at blakeschuster@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Schustee
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