Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano is undergoing chemotherapy for a treatable form of leukemia, Colts owner Jim Irsay announced Monday in a press conference.
Pagano has been in the hospital since Wednesday, ESPN reported. At first he was thought to just be experiencing fatigue, but blood tests revealed Pagano has acute myeloid leukemia, a form of the disease that’s treatable with chemotherapy and radiation.
The coach will be out for a minimum of six weeks; offensive coordinator Bruca Arians will step up as interim head coach.
Irsay stressed that the focus is on getting Pagano healthy again — not on getting him back on the sidelines.
This is Pagano’s first year coaching the Colts. He was the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator in 2011, and defensive secondary coach for the Ravens since 2008.