All About Jim Irsay’s 3 Daughters Carlie, Kalen and Casey Who Will Succeed Him As New Colts Owners

When Jim Irsay took over ownership of the Indianapolis Colts upon his father’s passing in 1997, they had been to just one AFC Championship game since 1970, when they’d won their first and only Super Bowl to that point. Irsay drafted Peyton Manning No. 1 overall in 1998, and the rest is history. The Colts made it to four AFC Championships in 12 seasons from 2003-2014, including a Super Bowl title in 2006.

Irsay’s father, Robert, bought the team back in 1972, when Jim was just 13 years old. He didn’t just shadow his father over the next quarter century, he got involved with all different areas of the team. Young Jim helped clean up the locker room, he worked in the ticketing office, he worked in personnel, and he even served as the general manager from 1984-1996.

Spending his entire life around the organization made him singularly prepared to take over for his father in 1997. Jim was surely aware of that because he had his three daughters do the same. Jim has been preparing his daughters for the moment when they would take over the team for many years. A decade and a half ago, he took steps to make that official, giving them each an important title, per ESPN.

“The daughters were each given the title of ‘vice chair/owner’ 14 years ago, an effort by their father to make clear that ownership of the team would stay in the family.”

Jim Irsay married Meg Coyle in 1980, and the pair had three daughters. Irsay’s children, all born between 1981 and 1987, have all been involved with the team in various ways for many years now.

Eldest daughter Carlie Irsay-Gordon has been the most involved

According to the Indianapolis Star, while all three daughters will be more involved now that their father is gone, his eldest, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, is the one who is expected to “assume control” moving forward. Born in 1981, Irsay-Gordon is a mother of three, but that hasn’t stopped her from having an impact and making a name for herself within the Colts organization.

She was even seen a few years ago on the sideline with a headset and what looked like a playbook wristband. She already serves on multiple ownership committees, and has worked extensively in the team’s marketing and football operations sectors. Irsay-Gordon also already has a great working relationship with Indy’s general manager, Chris Ballard.

Casey Foyt was involved in growing the NFL game globally

Irsay’s second child, Casey Foyt, born in 1983, has also worked extensively not only for the Colts but for the NFL as a whole. She earned a sports marketing degree from Indiana University and went on to work for the NFL in London. She was a key cog in planning and organizing the league’s first international game in London in 2007.

After that, Foyt joined the Colts in the marketing and community relations departments and has done great work with the Colts’ Women’s Foundation since then. Her husband, A.J. Foyt IV, is a scouting assistant for the Colts as well.

Kalen Jackson runs the franchise’s philanthropic efforts

Irsay’s youngest, Kalen Jackson, born in 1987, has been more involved with the Indianapolis Colts’ philanthropic efforts rather than anything on the football or business sides. Like her sisters, she grew up in and around the organization, which is probably how she realized the club’s foundation’s great capacity for good if leveraged properly.

One of her most important initiatives is “Kicking the Stigma”, a program designed to raise awareness about mental health disorders and help “remove the stigma often associated with these illnesses.” She also serves on various boards, such as the United Way of Central Indiana.