The Indianapolis Colts have wasted no time seeking permission to interview candidates for their head coaching vacancy after firing Chuck Pagano on Sunday. They have received permission to talk to New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, Houston Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard.

With a healthy Andrew Luck, the Colts job would be one of the more attractive openings in the NFL. But nobody knows if that will be the case until the quarterback starts his throwing regime at some point.

Here's a look at one of the candidates:

Name: Steve Wilks

Age: 48

Alma mater: Appalachian State

Experience: Defensive coordinator, Johnson C. Smith (1995-96); Defensive coordinator, Savannah State (1997-98); Head coach, Savannah State (1999); Defensive backs coach, Illinois State (2000); Defensive backs coach, Appalachian State (2001); Defensive coordinator, East Tennessee State (2002); Defensive backs coach, Bowling Green (2003); Defensive backs coach, Notre Dame (2004); Secondary coach, University of Washington (2005); Defensive backs coach, Chicago Bears (2006-08); Defensive backs coach, San Diego Chargers (2009-11); Defensive backs coach, Carolina Panthers (2012-14); Assistant head coach/defensive backs coach, Carolina (2015-16); Assistant head coach/defensive coordinator, Carolina (2017-present).

Connection to Colts: Wilks and Colts general manager Chris Ballard were together with the Bears from 2006-08. Ballard was a scout with the Bears at that time.

Status: Wilks won't interview this week because the Panthers have a playoff game against New Orleans on Sunday.

Strengths: Wilks, who is in his first season as defensive coordinator of the Panthers, coaches an aggressive style with a lot of blitzing. Carolina finished seventh in total defense this season. Its 50 sacks were good enough for third this season. The Colts, in comparison, were 31st in the league in that category with 25 ... Wilks runs a 4-3 defense, which is different from the 3-4 scheme Pagano ran in his six seasons with the Colts ... When Wilks coached defensive backs with the Bears from 2006-08, Chicago's defensive backs had 42 of the team's 62 interceptions, according to an article on Panthers.com. Ballard put an emphasis on forcing turnovers as soon as he was hired by the Colts because that'll give Luck or Jacoby Brissett more offensive possessions.

What others are saying about Wilks: "I knew he had it in him. He has a big presence about him. Even the way he speaks and everyone gravitates toward him. He's not a normal coordinator where no one really talks to him. Everybody is always asking him things. He's a smart, smart man. I learned more from him this year than I did in a long time. One thing I learned about him real quick by sitting in his office the day they signed me was, he said, 'I'm holding everybody accountable. Everybody is going to be accountable. We're going to play fast. We're going to play aggressive. We're not going to play not to make any mistakes, but we're going to be accountable for everything we do on the field.' It was the truth. There was no lying in him. He calls guys out. It's not out of disrespect, but it's out of love because he wants to win." -- Current Carolina and former Colts safety Mike Adams.

"You knew it was only a matter of time before Steve Wilks got his chance to become a head coach last year when he interviewed for the Rams job before he was promoted from secondary coach to defensive coordinator at the Panthers to replace Sean McDermott. He's that respected around the league. Wilks didn't get a lot of credit when McDermott was in charge of the defense, but he was a big part of the decision making. Players love him and feed off him. They love his aggressive style. He's blitzed way more than McDermott did a year ago, a big reason the Panthers have been successful against some of the top quarterbacks in the league this season. Wilks is polished in front of the media and prepares like he's already a head coach. When coach Ron Rivera had to be away to attend the funeral of his brother or handle his house fire before the 2015 playoffs, Wilks was the person that filled in. He's more than ready." -- ESPN Panthers reporter David Newton