After the Denver Broncos fired Nathaniel Hackett, who had been hired for less than a full season, there was another vacancy at the head coaching position.
The first round of interviews is over, and Broncos fans know all about the candidates. But who is the best person to lead the Broncos to future success? We break them down.
1. Sean Payton
Payton is the No. 1 candidate out there, and it’s easy to see why by looking at his resume.
After being hired as head coach of the New Orleans Saints in 2006, Payton quickly established a reputation as one of the best coaches in the league.
In fact, Payton had a hugely successful first season as NFL head coach, spotting and bringing out the best in quarterback Drew Brees and leading his team to the NFC Championship Game.
His early success didn’t stop there. By the time Payton leaves the Saints in 2021, his list of honors includes the AP Coach of the Year Award, a Super Bowl title and a 152-89 (63.1 percent) overall record.
While it takes several qualities to be an elite NFL head coach, Payton’s standout quality is his ability to lead a prolific offense.
It’s no coincidence that Payton has been the head coach of the offense throughout his tenure as head coach of the Saints, leading his offense to 12 top-10 marks.
For example, look at Drew Brees, who as a player joined the Saints was a big step in the right direction. Under Payton’s tutelage, Brees went from one-time Pro Bowler to first-team All-Pro in his first season.
Looking at Payton’s track record, there are few negatives, but the way he left the team is worth noting.
The Saints seemed to be selling the future for their best chance of winning in the short term, hoping to capitalize on the end of Brees’ career, but once the damage was done and the goals weren’t met, Payton retired, leaving the franchise behind. in a very difficult situation.
Now retired and looking for a new job, that should cause some concern, as the Broncos’ decision-makers must have a clear answer about Payton’s loyalty and ability to persevere through a challenging season.
Payton has seemed like a solid bet for the Broncos since interviewing him Tuesday.
2. Demecle Reigns
The youngest of the Broncos’ candidates, Reigns may lack experience, but he makes up for it with rare coaching qualities and defensive skills.
As a former player and captain, Lyons understands locker room dynamics better than any other candidate on this list, making him a veritable “player-coach.”
A successful “player coach” is not just someone the players will get along with, but someone who can empathize with and earn the respect of players at their level. All of these qualities contribute to a successful locker room, and it’s something Reigns is as qualified to accomplish as anyone.
While his ability to instill a winning culture is a huge selling point, his success as a defensive player is often forgotten because of it.
As the 49ers’ defensive coordinator this season, Reigns takes over where Robert Saleh left off, with the NFL’s No. 1 defense according to DVOA rankings. Not only are they the No. 1 shooting guard this year, but they were also No. 9 last year under Lioness.
Ryans’ combination of leadership and command is intriguing, but he’s not without his concerns.
Specifically, Lyons is so inexperienced as a coach that he was hired on the 49ers’ staff in 2017 and spent two of those seasons in only a coordinator role.
That goes without saying at Broncos National, but the inexperience of the entire staff could lead to a lot of growing pains that more veteran coaching candidates simply won’t have to endure.
3. Jim Caldwell
As the most experienced pick among the Broncos’ candidates, Caldwell will bring a wealth of experience, respect and a sense of direction to any team that chooses to hire him.
With a coaching pedigree dating back to 1977, when Caldwell was an assistant for the Iowa Hawkeyes, his understanding of how a football team should run is unparalleled, and he has successfully done so.
Specifically, Caldwell has been the head coach of NFL football twice in the past, with winning records for the Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions.
During that time, Caldwell went 62-50, went 2-4 in the playoffs, and was a Super Bowl champion in 2006.
Aside from having a solid record as a head coach, Caldwell’s standout and most important quality is how much his former players love him, attributing their individual success to him.
In fact, former Broncos legendary quarterback Peyton Manning publicly stated: “Jim Caldwell means a lot to me, in my career. I feel like once he comes to Indianapolis and becomes my Quarterback Coach, my game will really improve. I feel like it’s going to take it to the next level, and Jim has a lot to do with that.”
However, there are some concerns. Caldwell has proven impressive in the NFL, but at 68, it’s uncertain whether he’s the right coach to lead the Broncos’ rebuild if need be.
On top of that, Caldwell’s 2019 stint as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins led to his departure from the team and further exacerbated those concerns.
4. David Shaw
Jim Harbaugh is the Broncos Country’s favorite head coaching candidate before even considering his name, and Shaw is probably the next closest.
In fact, Shaw served in a variety of roles under Harbaugh from 2006 to 2010 before being named Stanford’s head coach in 2011 after Harbaugh left for the NFL.
A Stanford alumnus, Shaw had great success in college, finishing with a 96-54 overall record over his 12 seasons.
At the time, Shaw was interested in the NFL, but he was determined to stay at Stanford.
Now he is in a unique position. Shaw resigned as head coach at Stanford, and the Broncos ownership group has been linked to him, so Greg Penner has the opportunity to hire the coach who has been coveted for years.
That being said, Shaw hasn’t coached in the NFL since 2005, when he was the wide receivers coach for the Baltimore Ravens. NFL games are very different from college games. Many great college coaches have attempted to make the jump to the NFL, with few successes.
While Shaw’s record at Stanford cannot be tarnished, his 1-11 record this season makes him less of an attractive option than he has been in years past.
5. Dan Quinn
The most obvious choice among the Broncos’ head coaching candidates, Quinn brings to the table previous success as an NFL head coach and coordinator.
First starting in 2013 and gaining a lot of national exposure, Quinn was the defensive coordinator for one of the greatest defenses of all time in the Seahawks’ Legion of Boom defense.
Not long after, Quinn was hired as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, where he found early success, playing in the Super Bowl in 2016 before being fired in 2020.
As a coaching candidate for the Broncos, there are plenty of indications that he’s likely to get the job, but he’s No. 5 on this list because hiring would ignore team longevity.
Since he has a long-term relationship with Wilson and general manager George Payton, one must wonder how long Quinn will even be in control, as all signs point to his two friends’ futures with the Broncos being in doubt.
Even if the Broncos did keep Quinn after the Wilson era, he wouldn’t enjoy growing or developing with young quarterbacks the way many higher-ranked coaches do.
In many ways, hiring Quinn felt like putting a Band-Aid on a wound that needed surgery.
6. Raheem Morris
Morris offers a very interesting mix of youth, experience and versatility for this year’s coaching cycle.
Starting at defensive back, Morris began his NFL coaching career with the Buccaneers from 2002-2005 and 2007-2015.
During that time, Morris rose through the coaching ranks, going from a quality control coach to a defensive backs coach and eventually being named head coach in 2009.
Morris went on to serve as head coach for three seasons without much success, finishing with a 17-31 record.
Since then, Morris has been accumulating the necessary experience, serving as an offensive assistant for five seasons before moving again as the Rams’ defensive coordinator and helping them win their most recent Super Bowl.
The experience Morris gained during that time was invaluable, ultimately making him a head-coach candidate, but still at age 46.
Ultimately, Morris will be a solid coaching hire for most teams, but like Quinn, in the case of the Broncos, it will ignore the longevity of the team.
Quinn ranks higher than Morris because at least, with his ties to the Seahawks, he seems to have a plan in place to get the best out of Wilson. Morris, on the other hand, doesn’t have those same connections, and if the Broncos are forced to look for another quarterback in the near future, there are other candidates on this list with more proven records developing the position. .
7. Use Evero
Ranked last among the Broncos’ coaching candidates, Afro is an excellent defensive coordinator and head coaching candidate, but he’s not a good fit for the Broncos after coaching a disappointing past year. Team.
As an assistant coach, Afro is an extremely experienced coach who has played under some of the NFL’s most respected coaches including Harbaugh, Vic Fangio, Wade Phillips, Monte Kiffin and Brandon Staley Worked under him.
All of that experience culminated in his first stint as defensive coordinator last season, where he made strides to become one of the best defenses in the entire NFL for most of the season.
There’s no question that Afro will be head coach in the near future, but it’s an odd choice for the Broncos.
Since Evero is so well connected with last season’s staff, it’s unclear how much different last season’s staff will be from this season’s, making him one of the Broncos’ least attractive options going forward.
Unfortunately, the Broncos need changes, and a lot of them. The Broncos simply can’t go into next season with any recollection of last year’s coaching style.
Denver’s front office will hold a second round of interviews this week for its next head coach.
(Check out our Broncos coaching tracker for updates on the recruiting process.)
