Colts Retaining Charlie Partridge Amid Coaching Changes

The Indianapolis Colts made a change at defensive coordinator following a disappointing season, but Charlie Partridge will not be part of further changes.

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Colts will retain Partridge as their defensive line coach next season. The Colts hired former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo to fill the void in Indy, and Partridge will enter his second season in charge of the defensive linemen.

It wasn’t the easiest season for the Colts’ defensive linemen, but Partridge should be able to take advantage of a more aggressive defensive scheme.

#Colts are retaining DL coach Charlie Partridge, per sources. He'll stay on as part of Lou Anarumo's defensive staff, which will feature some changes.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 27, 2025

The Colts racked up just 36 sacks this season (bottom 10 in the NFL), but injuries and perhaps a poor defensive fit have the Colts anticipating a bounce-back in 2025. And with star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and defensive ends Kwity Paye and Laiatu Latu in place, there are some solid pieces.

Partridge took the Colts’ job last January, following a standout six seasons with the Panthers.

“As a coach and mentor, Charlie Partridge has been vital to our program’s rise over the past seven years,” Narduzzi said in the press release. “When I hired him back in 2017, I had high aspirations for the type of impact he would make for us. True to form, Charlie surpassed even those expectations. His influence on our players, on and off the field, is well known.

“Speaking personally, Charlie has been a tremendous confidant, advisor and friend, and I’ll always be grateful for that. The National Football League is getting a great coach and an even greater man. On behalf of our entire program, I wish him and his family only the very best.”

Partridge turned down interest from Alabama and Miami over his final seasons in Pittsburgh, but with the instability in college footbal, Partridge finally decided to pull the trigger.

Pitt led college football in disruptive plays under Partridge’s tutelage, with 196 sacks (26 more than second-place Alabama) from 2019 through 2022, and it all started up front. Pitt recorded 51 sacks (second place), 46 sacks (first place), 54 sacks (third place) and 48 sacks (first place) over his final four seasons, and through all of the turnover, it was a leading unit nationally.

Partridge previously spent time at Pitt in the early to mid-2000s, and went on to success at Wisconsin, rising to associate head coach/defensive coordinator, before following Bret Bielema to Arkansas for one season in 2013. Following a three-year stint as the head coach of Florida Atlantic, Partridge returned to Pitt in 2017.

In his time at Pitt, he helped the likes of Rashad Weaver, Patrick Jones, Jaylen Twyman and Calijah Kancey reach All-American success in Pittsburgh.