Stephen Holder

stephen.holder@indystar.com

INDIANAPOLIS – The roller coaster of emotions Chuck Pagano has been riding finally has come to a merciful end.

The Indianapolis Colts coach has gone from not knowing his fate to surviving the dismissal of General Manager Ryan Grigson to now joining forces with new GM Chris Ballard – all in the past month.

Now that it has been decided Pagano will stay on for a sixth season in 2017, here’s one more question: What does the hiring of Ballard mean for the embattled coach?

Based on Jim Irsay’s well-articulated position – Pagano gets another year and will be re-assessed by Ballard after the season – the coach's challenge is clear: He’s got to win now.

“The new general manager will come in, evaluate our whole football program and we will see where we are at,” Irsay said recently. “… But for 2017, Chuck is our coach.”

Not exactly a ringing endorsement for a guy under contract through 2019.

But what if we take a closer look? Might there be a case to be made that Pagano actually could benefit from Ballard’s arrival, despite Irsay’s ominous choice of words? For a couple of reasons, that’s very possible.

The first? Pagano and Ballard appear to have commonalities that Pagano and Grigson never did.

Consider: Grigson would often describe himself as “passionate,” which was his way of acknowledging that he will never be known for his bedside manner. Privately, Grigson has said he didn’t want to be viewed as a peer to his players and staff, concerned that too much collegiality could undermine his role as their boss.

As you can imagine, that style clashed with Pagano’s well-documented relationship-based approach and contributed to their inability to work together. Their strained relationship was a major factor in Irsay dismissing Grigson on Jan. 21.

Ballard, in contrast, stressed his ability and desire to work with others and to employ an inclusive approach.

“Everyone will have to understand that we’re all a part of something bigger than ourselves,” Ballard said, “and that every decision we make will be in the best interest of the horseshoe. It will never be about one person. It will take all of us to come together as one.”

There is widespread agreement that Ballard’s personality and demeanor are among his strengths. Those qualities are sure to bleed into his management style and could certainly blend well with Pagano, who is beloved for the same reason. Ballard said that on Sunday night, as the reality of his new, big job was beginning to sink in, he got more than 500 congratulatory text messages – more than 200 of which he said were from former players and coaches with whom he has worked. That’s a pretty good indicator of the kind of working relationships he has built in his past jobs.

Perhaps he can build a similar relationship with Pagano.

Another reason Pagano could benefit is from simply having a fresh set of eyes to evaluate him. Pagano is coming into a situation where his new general manager won’t have pre-conceived notions about him. Ballard doesn’t know the details of the past five years. He knows only the record, and he thinks Pagano’s is pretty good.

“We need to keep our eye on how hard it is to win in this league,” Ballard said. “It’s hard to win. He’s won 49 games in the National Football League.”

For Grigson, after five years, whatever perceived weaknesses he saw in Pagano were only reinforced by back-to-back non-playoff seasons in 2015 and 2016. Grigson almost certainly expressed those feelings to Irsay over the years, but that’s no longer a factor.

And that helps Pagano.

What works against Pagano is Ballard’s stated desire to build through the draft. That’s obviously the preferred way to construct a sustainable team, but given the Colts’ significant salary-cap dollars and major defensive weaknesses, it’s tempting to dive into free agency this year. That could certainly help Pagano in the short term, but Ballard made it clear this week he is thinking long term. We will see if Ballard’s approach impacts expectations and what, if any, impact that has on Pagano.

There are variables that are sure to work for and against Pagano. But there’s one thing he can do, regardless of anything else, that will ensure his longevity no matter who is in charge and no matter the details:

Win.

Follow IndyStar reporter Stephen Holder on Twitter: @HolderStephen.

Doyel: Chris Ballard blew me away but it doesn't mean anything

Insider: Expect Ballard to be patient in building Colts