Colts Defensive Coordinator Hot Board: Top 5 Replacements For Greg Manusky

The Indianapolis Colts retained head coach Chuck Pagano and gave him a multi-year contract extension, but one member of his coaching staff wasn't as lucky as the team fired defensive coordinator Greg Manusky on Tuesday.

Manusky came with Pagano to Indianapolis, serving as the team's DC for four seasons. However, the regression of the defense over the past 12 months ultimately led to his ouster -- now leaving the Colts searching for a new leader of the defense. Who's got a good shot of joining Pagano's staff in Indy? Here's our Colts Defensive Coordinator Hot Board: Top 5 Replacements For Greg Manusky.

5. Nick Rapone -- Defensive Backs Coach, Arizona Cardinals

There are some worthwhile in-house options (linebackers coach Jeff FitzGerald being one of them), but the Colts' drop from #11 to #26 in total defense from 2014-15 could hurt his and others' chances. So, we're tasked with looking at outside candidates -- and Rapone is as good as any. He's spent 36 years as a coach, but the one caveat is that his past three years with Arizona represents his first work at the NFL level.

Still, his resume can't be denied. He's molded Arizona's secondary into a unit that rivals Seattle's Legion of Boom in potency, helping Tyrann Mathieu and Patrick Peterson along in their ascent to NFL stardom.

4. Jim Tomsula -- Former Head Coach, San Francisco 49ers

Here's a major wild card. Tomsula spent eight years as the 49ers' defensive line coach, but looked overmatched after taking a massive jump to the head coaching position after the team parted ways with Jim Harbaugh. In Tomsula's defense, he was dealt a pretty awful hand  -- including a rash of retirements/injuries, and a front office that's been chasing its own tail for over a year. He's a quality defensive assistant and could very well be a coordinator option for teams that read deeper into his tenure by The Bay.

3. Vance Joseph -- Defensive Backs Coach, Cincinnati Bengals

Joseph was blocked by the Bengals from pursuing a defensive coordinator role under Gary Kubiak in Denver, and there's always the worry that the Colts could vet Joseph and be rebuffed in the same way. However, both offensive coordinator Hue Jackson and defensive coordinator Paul Guenther appear to be all systems go for interviews (Guenther will interview with the Browns for their HC position), so it's possible the Bengals could change their stance on Joseph.

Considered a future coordinator star by several members of the NFL coaching world, Joseph would be a sneaky blockbuster hire.

2. Al Holcomb -- Linebackers Coach, Carolina Panthers

Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott is the talk of the town when it comes to the next coordinator-to-head coach hire, and his linebackers coach -- Al Holcomb -- could be a beneficiary of the buzz around McDermott. There's a chance he'd be promoted to the Panthers gig if McDermott leaves, or he could join the Panthers DC at his next destination.

If that doesn't happen, Holcomb is an intriguing candidate for the Colts. He's the man in star linebacker Luke Kuechly's ear on gamedays, and his pedigree/reputation as a versatile defensive quality control assistant under former Giants DC Perry Fewell preceded him to Charlotte. Keep an eye on him.

1. Ted Monachino -- Linebackers Coach, Baltimore Ravens

Monachino has served as the Ravens' linebackers coach for the past six years, including a stint under Chuck Pagano during his time as Baltimore's defensive coordinator in 2011. While he doesn't yet have experience as a defensive coordinator, he's worked as an NFL assistant for ten years (including a defensive line coach stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2006-10). He's also been an under-the-radar candidate for several DC openings in the past couple years, including with the Philadelphia Eagles back in 2013.

Under Pagano, Monachino helped key a Ravens D which finished third in the NFL in total defense back in 2011. His familiarity with Pagano and sterling in-league reputation makes him a perfect fit.

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Related Topics: Ted Monachino, Colts News, Jim Tomsula, Chuck Pagano