The Indianapolis Colts have fired coach Chuck Pagano. Here are eight of the top names tied to NFL openings:

>> Steve Wilks

Currently: Defensive coordinator, Carolina Panthers

Quick take: The Colts have already reached out to request an interview, Wilks told reporters in Charlotte. He just finished his first season as the Panthers' defensive coordinator, and they were seventh in scoring defense and 10th in yards allowed. He got the position after Sean McDermott became head coach for the Buffalo Bills. He's 48, and interviewed for the Los Angeles Rams head coaching position last offseason. A defensive back in his playing days, he is credited with helping Josh Norman develop into one of the league's best. He has also been the assistant head coach since 2015, working mostly in 4-3 defensive fronts but also working with 3-4 schemes. He was Notre Dame's secondary coach in 2004.

>> Jim Schwartz

Currently: Defensive coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles

Quick take: He’s rehabbed his reputation after a 29-51 stint in five seasons as the head coach in Detroit. The Eagles’ defense has been quickly transformed by Schwartz, and now he’s widely seen as one of this year’s top candidates. The Colts might benefit from an intense and fiery coach like Schwartz after having the opposite personality in Pagano the past six years. Remember the time Schwartz chased down then-49ers coach Jim Harbaugh after a flippant post-game handshake and started a huge fracas? Well, his players loved it.

>> Dave Toub

Currently: Special teams coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs

Quick take: The Chiefs have had one of the finest special-teams units in the NFL under Toub, who is in his fifth season on the job. But that’s not primarily why he’s listed here. The fact is Colts General Manager Chris Ballard has shown time and again he will look back to his Kansas City roots, be it for players or organizational structure. Much of what he has done in Indianapolis has been patterned after Kansas City. The history between Ballard and Toub goes back to 2004, when both were in the Chicago Bears’ organization. Toub is no stranger to drawing interest for head-coaching posts. Last year, he interviewed with the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos but was passed over. The idea of hiring a special-teams coordinator to be a head coach is rare, but it worked wonderfully in the case of the Baltimore Ravens and John Harbaugh.

>> Kris Richard

Currently: Defensive coordinator, Seattle Seahawks

Quick take: Pete Carroll has started a bit of a coaching tree in the Pacific Northwest. The previous two Seattle defensive coordinators have gone on to become head coaches in the NFL, Gus Bradley (Jacksonville) and Dan Quinn (Atlanta). Could Richard be next? This 38-year old up-and-comer is an interesting candidate and could be a hot name this year. The Buffalo Bills interviewed him last year before hiring Sean McDermott. Vice President of Player Personnel Ed Dodds came from the Seattle organization and would be well-positioned to provide Ballard important background on Richard. The former USC cornerback was a third-round pick of Seattle in 2002 and played five seasons in the NFL. Richard could appeal to the Colts because of their young defense, which includes a number of rookie defensive backs.

>> Frank Reich

Currently: Offensive coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles

Quick take: The first order of business for the Colts is to get Andrew Luck healthy and back on the field. Once they do, the next priority should be getting this offense back on track at a 2014 level (the Colts led the NFL in passing that season). We’ve seen Luck at his best, and maybe a guy like Reich can bring it out of him once more. What Reich and the Eagles’ coaching staff have done in Philadelphia with Carson Wentz can’t be overstated. They led the NFL in scoring this season and had one of the league’s most efficient units. Reich, a former NFL quarterback who engineered one of the wildest comebacks in history in a 1993 playoff game, has interviewed with the Bills the past two times their top job was open. Reich has probably never been hotter than he is right now.

>> Josh McDaniels

Currently: Offensive coordinator, New England Patriots

Quick take: The Colts reportedly have already requested permission for an interview from New England. McDaniels is expected to be an in-demand name during a hiring cycle in which proven candidates are lacking. The former Denver Broncos head coach reportedly is ready to take on another head job, perhaps knowing he’s now matured as a coach after taking over in Denver when he was just 33. During Media Day ahead of Super Bowl LI, McDaniels admitted he wasn’t ready the last time. “Some of the things I failed at before, I think I learned from and am better for it,” he said. McDaniels has yet to prove he can be successful apart from Patriots coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. But you know someone is going to want to find out whether he can be. McDaniels was a candidate for the 49ers last year before pulling his name out of consideration.

>> Matt Nagy

Currently: Offensive coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs

Quick take: Nagy has already been linked to the Colts today by NFL.com. It’s arguable teams think Nagy isn’t quite ready for an opportunity like this. After all, he’s just 39 and has been a coordinator for only two seasons. But, like Toub, he has the Kansas City connection. That could be enough to land him an interview in Indianapolis because Ballard will have more background on Nagy than any other general manager. One of the other strong points on Nagy’s resume is the work he’s done with the Chiefs’ quarterbacks, whom he started coaching in 2014. That includes Alex Smith, who has been one of the NFL’s most efficient passers in recent seasons, and rookie Patrick Mahomes. The Colts know Luck is their meal ticket, so Nagy makes sense from that perspective.

>> Mike Vrabel

Currently: Defensive coordinator, Houston Texans

Quick take: The Colts have requested to interview Vrabel per Albert Breer. One of the newer names among the list of possible candidates, Vrabel is starting to get some interest around the league with the Detroit Lions also showing interest him. Vrabel spent 13 years in the league but really made a name for himself during the eight years he spent in New England. Retiring from the game in 2010, Vrabel spent 3 years at Ohio State as the linebackers and defensive line coach before being named as the Texans linebackers coach in 2014. This past season he was named as the defensive coordinator in Houston and while the Texans ranked 20th in total defense, it's important to remember that they played a majority of the season without J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus. For a team that is desperately in need of help along the front seven like the Colts are, the 42-year old Vrabel would provide a much needed boost to those groups.

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