Defensive line coach Charlie Partridge is leaving the Indianapolis Colts, but not Indiana. He’ll be joining Notre Dame in the same position according to a report by ESPN.
The Colts hired Partridge in February of 2024 after seven years at the University of Pittsburgh and has been widely considered one of the best defensive line coaches at the college level during his career.
Partridge had not coached in the NFL prior to being hired by the Colts but had a long history of producing NFL defensive linemen. He inherited a defensive line that had produced 95 sacks over the previous two seasons, including an Indianapolis Colts record 51 in 2023.
The Colts haven’t gotten the production the team hoped for from its defensive line this season as they rank tied for 14th with 39 sacks and 14th in pressure percentage (.238) under defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
Second-year defensive Laiatu Latu, the first defensive player selected in the 2024 draft, hasn’t developed into the impact player the team hoped for, though he leads the Colts with 8.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback hits. Kwity Paye, another first-round pick, has just 4 sacks this season after producing 16.5 the two previous seasons.
Sources: Notre Dame is set to hire Indianapolis Colts defensive line coach Charlie Partridge for the same role. An accomplished college assistant and former FAU head coach, Partridge was at Pitt from 2017-2023. Worked with ND coordinator Chris Ash at Wisconsin, Arkansas, Drake. pic.twitter.com/0uxr58KoxO
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) January 2, 2026
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.