2015 began with Super Bowl hopes for the Colts, but injuries to Andrew Luck, and discontent between the GM Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano, have combined to sink the season.

Reports surfaced on New Year’s Eve that Pagano won’t be retained, meaning a job coaching the most exciting young quarterback in football has opened up. Here are three ideal candidates to lead the Colts.

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Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Wolverines Head Coach

Harbaugh has a great gig right now coaching up the Wolverines. He’s returned to his alma mater, where he is treated like a god and there aren’t millionaires with big egos to disagree with his vision.

He also was Luck’s quarterback from 2008 to 2010 at Stanford, and coached him to a 12-1 season that culminated with an Orange Bowl victory in his final year on the Cardinal sideline. It would take a tremendous offer from the Colts to lure Harbaugh away from the Big House, but if there’s any job worth Harbaugh’s time, it’s the Indianapolis job.

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Sean Payton, Saints Head Coach

There’s no clarity whether Payton will even be available this offseason, but if so, the Colts are a perfect landing spot. He’s been the architect of some of the best offenses in the NFL since taking over the Saints, but they’ve all been with Drew Brees at the helm.

No one knows for sure if Payton can succeed at that level without an elite quarterback, but if he took over the Colts he’d have Luck at his disposal, checking the elite QB box.

Tom Herman, Houston Cougars Head Coach

Sometimes the best hires come from way outside the box. Hiring a college coach with just one year of experience in the NCAA ranks would certainly qualify. Herman was hired in 2015 by Houston and promptly led them to a 13-1 record that included a 38-24 beating of Florida State in the Peach Bowl. The Cougars ended their season ranked No. 14 in the nation, after back-to-back 8-5 seasons that were preceded by a 5-7 campaign.

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