Indianapolis Colts' GM "favorite" Chris Ballard wants to fire coach

Jan. 28 (UPI) -- The Indianapolis Colts finished its first round of general manager interviews Saturday, following the dismissal of Ryan Grigson.

Colts interim GM Jimmy Raye III and Green Bay Packers director of football operations Eliot Wolf were the final two candidates to be interviewed. Kansas City Chiefs director of football operations Chris Ballard, Minnesota Vikings assistant GM George Paton, and Seattle Seahawks co-directors of player personnel Trent Kirchner and Scott Fitterer interviewed for the position earlier this week.

The Colts are expected to bring in several candidates for additional interviews, but Ballard is the early favorite for the hire.

In fact, KMBC Kansas City's Steven Albritton reported that Ballard is the "clear favorite" for the Colts' GM gig. He also reported that Ballard wants to change the team's head coach if he gets the job.

Colts owner Jim Irsay fired Grigson on Jan. 21. Grigson and current Colts coach Chuck Pagano both began their stints with the franchise in 2012.

Irsay voiced confidence in Pagano at his Jan. 21 news conference, saying: "He's our coach for 2017."

"The new general manager will come in, evaluate our whole football program, and we'll see where we're at," Irsay said in his press conference. "Again, I hope Chuck can be our coach for many years to come. He is our coach this year, and going through this process and interviewing general managers and having whoever the new general manager come in to work with me, to evaluate where we're at will play a big role in that in the long term. But for 2017, Chuck is our coach."

The Colts are 16-16 in the last two seasons, missing out on the postseason.