Seahawks

INDIANAPOLIS — Jim Caldwell endured everything thrown at him during his first two seasons as the Colts' coach — replacing a friend, constant criticism, even fighting through a huge rash of injuries.

He couldn't survive the loss of Peyton Manning.

Caldwell became the Colts' third high-profile dismissal in an offseason purge, getting fired Tuesday after producing the franchise's worst record in two decades.

"This is obviously a big transitional time for us, and I know we're excited moving forward and it's hard when you say goodbyes to some people," team owner Jim Irsay said. "But it's part of the business."

In Indianapolis, it's been anything but business as usual.

The day after they finished 2-14 and locked up the No. 1 overall draft pick, Irsay fired team vice chairman Bill Polian, the architect of the Colts' success, and his son, Chris, the hand-picked general manager.

A nine-day search prompted Irsay to hire 39-year-old Ryan Grigson as the replacement last Wednesday.

Since then, Irsay and his new GM have been meeting almost nonstop, debating what tack the team needed to take next — bringing in new assistants to fix the problems or making wholesale changes?

Things were so clouded Monday that Caldwell even met with former Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo about possibly becoming the Colts' new defensive coordinator. By Tuesday morning, the conventional wisdom in Indy and around league circles was that Caldwell would return.

A few hours later, everything changed as suddenly as the Colts' 2011 fortunes. Irsay said he informed Caldwell of the decision shortly before the team confirmed the move. The search for a new coach is to begin immediately though neither Irsay nor Grigson provided a timeline for the hiring.

"We just came to the conclusion that this is best moving forward for the franchise," Grigson said, referring to his first major decision in charge of an NFL team. "Mr. Irsay is the steward of this franchise and I'm here to help him wrap his head around these types of decisions. We've been in football our whole lives and a lot of it is about instincts."

Fisher up for Rams challenge

ST. LOUIS — About a month and a half ago, Jeff Fisher began scouting teams that were likely to have coaching vacancies. Watching video of the St. Louis Rams as they wound up a depressing three-year run under Steve Spagnuolo, Fisher saw potential.

"There's a really solid nucleus here," Fisher said. "Yes, there is."

Fisher perceived commitment, too, after spending time with owner Stan Kroenke. The usually camera-shy Kroenke reinforced that impression when he introduced Fisher to media on Tuesday.

"Jeff and I both put our names on a contract upstairs that will keep him here for a good while, and we're really excited about that," Kroenke said. He added that "the more we talked, the more comfortable we got."

Fisher agreed to a five-year contract worth a reported $7 million per season late last week. Before the dollar amount was discussed, Fisher and the Rams had to agree on a list of about two dozen items, including the makeup of the coaching staff and front office.

Notes

• The Oakland Raiders have been given permission to interview Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg for their vacant coaching job. Mornhinweg went 5-27 as Detroit's coach in 2001-02.

• A source has said former St. Louis Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo has agreed to interview with the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday for the club's vacant defensive coordinator.

• Andrew Luck's uncle will serve as the agent for the former Stanford quarterback and two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up. The Wasserman Media Group announced that Luck is the first and only NFL-bound player to sign with the agency. The company hired Luck's uncle, Will Wilson, as executive vice president of football to represent the quarterback.

Luck is expected to be the top pick in April's NFL draft after leading Stanford to consecutive BCS bowl games and shattering almost every major school passing record. The Colts hold the No. 1 pick.

• Denver tailback Willis McGahee and left tackle Ryan Clady have been added to the AFC's Pro Bowl roster.

• The Chicago Bears have interviewed San Diego executive Jimmy Raye about their open general manager job.