The Indianapolis Colts announced on Monday that leadership will pass to the daughters of the late Jim Irsay. Carlie Irsay-Gordon will become the owner and CEO, Casey Foyt will become the owner and executive vice president, and Kalen Jackson will become the owner and chief brand officer as well as the president of the Indianapolis Colts Foundation.All three daughters have served as Colts vice chair/owner since 2012. They will begin their new roles immediately. Irsay-Gordon will serve as the team’s principal owner, but all three sisters will share leadership duties.The Colts are one of the few NFL franchises under sole family ownership. It began in 1972 when Robert Irsay purchased the Baltimore Colts in a franchise trade with the Los Angeles Rams. After spending 12 years in Baltimore, Robert Irsay moved the team to Indianapolis in 1984. Jim Irsay became the sole owner when Robert died in 1997.Jim Irsay had a successful run as Colts ownerThe Colts had a lot of success when Jim was the owner. During his tenure, the Colts won 10 division titles, two AFC Championships and a Super Bowl title. From 2000-09, the Colts won 115 regular season games, the most in a decade for any team in the NFL at the time.Jim Irsay passed away on May 21 and was laid to rest on June 2. “Just the generosity, how much he cared,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said after Irsay’s passing. “For an owner like him to be involved as he was with the football aspect – dating back, hearing the stories before I even got here, we had these shirts made up for him. He was a weight room guy. He used to go in the weight room and lift with the players and create that bond, which was special. Just how much passion he had for the Horseshoe. We’d always talk about the Horseshoe. We represent the Horseshoe in this building, outside this building, in the community. I think he left the city of Indianapolis in a really good spot.”“It was times where I felt like J.I. treated me like I was one of his sons, even though he didn’t have any,” former Colts wide receiver and current wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne said. “It’s kind of funny because that’s part of the conversation me and Edge (Edgerrin James) had – it was like we were his sons. Like, he would have done anything for us. So, when you lose something like that, it definitely shocks the soul.”
