Former Colts Coach Chuck Pagano Admits To Drinking So Much Wine He Fell Asleep, Skipped Jim Irsay's Calls

Retired Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano appeared on "The Pat McAfee Show," reuniting with his former punter to discuss how he landed the job after spending four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens' defensive staff. 

Pagano was apparently riesling it all during the interview process when he decided to drink an entire bottle of wine after meeting with Colts owner Jim Irsay. Reaching the sediment at the bottom of his Cab Sauvignon, Pagano then knocked out and woke up hours later to missed calls from the owner. He feared having missed out on the job due to his pre-gaming.

Irsay ultimately named Pagano as the Colts coach in Jan. 2012, but the play-caller admitted that the path to the position was a doozy. 

"I woke up, 6-7 a.m., and looked at my phone and had three missed calls from Mr. Irsay," Pagano admitted. "I'm like 'oh s–t, I blew this.' I'd gotten drunk on a bottle of wine and I missed his calls. But he called the next day, we talked for about an hour, and he offered me the job."

He went on to have a turbulent career amid personal health issues and injuries to now-retired quarterback Andrew Luck.

Pagano and the Colts went 33-15 in his first three seasons; the subsequent three years they finished at .500 or with a losing record. After a 4-12 campaign in 2017, Irsay canned Pagano as coach.

He led the Chicago Bears' defense for two seasons and called it a career in 2020 — free to scout the Santa Ynez Valley for its finest pinot.

Follow along on Twitter: @AlejandroAveela