Bruce Arians, who served as the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive coordinator up until this last season, will serve as the Indianapolis Colts' head coach while Chuck Pagano undergoes treatment for leukemia.

Pagano's illness is believed to be one of the more treatable forms of leukemia, but regardless, the disease will prevent him from fulfilling his duties as head coach. General manager Jim Irsay said that he did not believe Pagano will return to the Colts this year, as the team tried to focus on the serious nature of the diagnosis with football on the back burner.

Arians was with the Steelers from 2004 through this last offseason, serving as wide receivers coach until 2006 before the promotion to offensive coordinator. However, the team opted to go in another direction by bringing in Todd Haley this past year, leaving Arians to join the staff of the first-year head coach Pagano for the Colts, in part to help groom rookie quarterback Andrew Luck. Pagano requested that Arians take over the job.

Arians' only stint as a head coach was in the NCAA from 1983-1988, when he went 21-45 with the Temple Owls.