Published: May 14, 2009 11:43 pm         

Colts' Moore, Mudd turn in retirment paperwork

INDIANAPOLIS — While the Indianapolis Colts haven’t made an official announcement, veteran assistant coaches Tom Moore and Howard Mudd may have coached their last games with the National Football League team.

Colts owner Jim Irsay told the Indianapolis Star on Thursday that both Moore, 70, and Mudd, 67, have formally turned in their retirement paperwork. The pair have been an integral part of Indianapolis’ offensive coaching staff since 1998.

A recent decision by National Football League owners in determining how the league’s pension plan is administered has caused ripples around the league’s older assistant coaches. Moore, the Colts’ offensive coordinator, and Mudd, the team’s offensive line coach, opted to retire after learning of planned changes in the NFL’s retirement benefits package.  

Both long time assistant coaches feel as if they have to take their entire lump-sum pension payment now. If they do not exercise that right at 65 under the revised plan, they will be allowed only to accept annuity payments upon retirement that will be reduced to 50 percent value for his immediate survivors if he dies.

Mudd has already maximized his pension because he has surpassed the formula that requires a coach’s age and league tenure to equal 75. He has been an NFL assistant for 36 consecutive seasons.

According to espn.com, several factors motivated owners to change the pension program, including a loophole that enabled a tenured assistant coach who hit the 75 formula to retire and take a lump sum only to return to a team as a high-paid consultant.

Assistant offensive line coach (and former Wabash College standout) Pete Metzelaars is expected to take over as the primary offensive line coach. Metzelaars, who played tight end with several NFL teams, filled in for Mudd last season while he recovered from knee replacement surgery.

Clyde Christensen, the Colts’ assistant head coach/wide receivers coach, will most likely assume the offensive coordinator’s job. Christensen previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2001.

Other changes on the Indianapolis coaching staff heading into the 2009 season include the addition of  defensive coordinator Larry Coyer (replacing Ron Meeks), special teams coach Ray Rychelski (taking over for Russ Purnell) and the promotion of former Buffalo Bills quarterback Frank Reich to quarterbacks coach from offensive assistant.