Colts assistant Mudd, 77, retires ahead of opener

INDIANAPOLIS -- Longtime assistant coach Howard Mudd has decided to walk away from football just two days before the Indianapolis Colts open the season at the Los Angeles Chargers.

Coach Frank Reich made the announcement Friday.

The 77-year-old Mudd came out of retirement six months ago and accepted the title of senior offensive assistant, working primarily with new offensive line coach Chris Strausser. Mudd worked for seven NFL franchises from 1974 through 2012 before retiring.

But Reich said that over the past week, Mudd started indicating he might be ready to leave the game again. He previously worked for the Colts from 1998 through 2009, when he helped teach Reich the nuances of run…