Tag: Ben Kotwica

Broncos have lost 9 staff members in 2025 following Rob Paton’s departure

Rob Paton has left the Broncos’ scouting department to join the Jets. He is the ninth employee to leave Denver this offseason.

Yet another Denver Broncos employee has left the club.

Broncos scout Rob “Robbie” Paton is leaving the team to become a co-director of player personnel for the New York Jets, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. Paton will now reunite with Jets general manager Darren Mougey, who left Denver this offseason for a promotion in New York.

Paton played safety at UCLA before coaching defensive backs at Loyola High School and then returning to the Bruins as a scouting analyst. He was hired by the Broncos in 2017, four years before his uncle, George Paton, became the team’s general manager.

The younger Paton is the ninth staff member to leave Denver this offseason.

Broncos staff departures

  1. Ben Kotwica (fired)
  2. Greg Manusky (fired)
  3. Darren Mougey (joined Jets)
  4. Rob Paton (joined Jets)
  5. Chris Banjo (joined Jets)
  6. John Morton (joined Lions)
  7. David Shaw (joined Lions)
  8. Mark Thewes (joined Raiders)
  9. Declan Doyle (joined Bears)

Now in addition to identifying players to bring in this offseason, George Paton and Broncos coach Sean Payton will also have to fill several key staff positions. Get ready for a busy offseason in Denver.

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Broncos have to fill 5 positions on Sean Payton’s coaching staff

The Broncos need to fill five positions on Sean Payton’s coaching staff this offseason.

The Denver Broncos were hit hard by other clubs poaching coaching staff talent this offseason.

The Broncos lost assistant special teams coach Chris Banjo to the New York Jets, passing game coordinator John Morton to the Detroit Lions and tight ends coach Declan Doyle to the Chicago Bears.

The 2025 Broncos are the first team since the 2021 Los Angeles Rams to have three coaches poached for coordinator jobs, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Additionally, Denver fired special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica and inside linebackers coach Greg Manusky. That gives the team five total positions on Sean Payton’s staff that need to be filled this offseason.

Broncos coaching staff openings

  1. Special teams coordinator
  2. Assistant special teams coach 
  3. Tight ends coach
  4. Passing game coordinator
  5. Inside linebackers coach 

Ex-senior personnel executive David Shaw also left for a coaching role with the Lions, but his old position is not necessarily one that needs to be filled.

Former New Orleans Saints interim coach/special teams coach Darren Rizzi is considered a top candidate to get the special teams coordinator job in Denver, and Phil Galiano could join him as an assistant.

Former New England Patriots tight ends coach Bob Bicknell could be a potential candidate to fill the TEs coach position in Denver, per Klis. Bicknell coached with Broncos senior offensive assistant Pete Carmichael with the New Orleans Saints from 2022-2023 when Carmichael was an offensive coordinator.

We will track all of Denver’s coaching staff moves on Broncos Wire.

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Cowboys might poach a coach from Sean Payton’s staff

The Cowboys are interviewing Broncos assistant coach Chris Banjo for their special teams coordinator position.

A Denver Broncos assistant coach is in high demand.

We already knew Broncos assistant special teams coach Chris Banjo was a candidate for the special teams coordinator openings with the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers. Now a third team has entered the mix.

The Dallas Cowboys are also interviewing Banjo for their ST opening, according to a report from ESPN’s Todd Archer.

Landing a coordinator position this offseason would be an impressive rise for Banjo. He played as a safety and special teams ace in the NFL from 2013-2022 before hanging up his cleats and transitioning to coaching.

Broncos coach Sean Payton hired Banjo as an assistant special teams coach in 2023 and after just two years on the job, Banjo is now a candidate for a big promotion.

Denver might consider Banjo for its own coordinator opening after firing Ben Kotwica, but Darren Rizzi is believed to be the Broncos’ preferred candidate to replace Kotwica.

Elsewhere on the coaching front, the Chicago Bears want to interview Denver executive David Shaw and tight ends coach Declan Doyle for their offensive coordinator position. We will track all of the team’s coaching staff developments on Broncos Wire.

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Broncos won’t lose Vance Joseph to Jets; Raiders hire ex-Denver executive

The Jets will not hire Broncos DC Vance Joseph as their new head coach, opting to hire Aaron Glenn instead. That and more updates here.

The Denver Broncos aren’t seeking a head coach this offseason, but they’re still making headlines as other NFL teams fill their coach openings.

The latest development is the New York Jets hiring former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as their new head coach. That news confirms that the Broncos will not lose defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to New York this offseason.

Joseph interviewed for the Jets’ and Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach openings. New York’s position has now been filled. Las Vegas is yet to make its hire.

Elsewhere in the hiring cycle, the Raiders are set to hire John Spytek as their new general manager. Spytek served as a southwest area scout (2013) and national scout (2014-2015) in Denver, helping the Broncos identify talent leading up to their win in Super Bowl 50. He left the team for a promotion with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2016 and now lands in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, back to coaching buzz: Glenn wants to interview Denver assistant special teams coach Chris Banjo for New York’s special teams coordinator position.

The Broncos also have a ST coordinator opening after firing Ben Kotwica last week. Denver fired Kotwica with Darren Rizzi in mind as a potential replacement candidate, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

So the Broncos aren’t losing Joseph, at least not to New York, but they might lose an assistant. And Denver’s still seeking a new ST coach. We will track future coaching staff developments on Broncos Wire.

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Broncos coaching staff buzz: Monday’s developments impact Denver

The Bears are hiring Ben Johnson, so Broncos executive David Shaw won’t land the HC job in Chicago.

The NFL’s coaching carousel continues to spin, and the Denver Broncos are along for the ride.

The biggest news item to drop on Monday was the Chicago Bears landing on ex-Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their new head coach. That’s notable for the Broncos because it means senior personnel executive David Shaw won’t be leaving for a promotion in Chicago. Shaw interviewed for the Bears’ head coach opening last week.

Elsewhere on the head coach front, the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars still have openings. Denver defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has interviewed for the Raiders and Jets HC positions.

Meanwhile, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has a HC interview with the Jets on Tuesday. Glenn is expected to land with one of the Jets or Saints, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. If Glenn takes the NY job, that would be one less opening for Joseph.

Elsewhere, the Tennessee Titans are hiring John Fassel as their new special teams coordinator. Fassel was dubbed a name to watch after the Broncos fired ST coordinator Ben Kotwica last week. Darren Rizzi remains the candidate to keep an eye on as a potential Kotwica replacement.

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Broncos coaching staff buzz: Ex-DC lands job in Europe, ST candidate interviews with Saints

Former Broncos DC Jack Del Rio landed a HC job in Europe. Meanwhile, presumed ST candidate Darren Rizzi interviewed for the Saints’ HC job.

As the NFL’s coaching carousel continues to spin, the Denver Broncos are making headlines.

The Broncos fired special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica on Friday and the team will now need to find a replacement. More on that in a moment, but first, two updates on other coaches.

Jack Del Rio, who served as Denver’s defensive coordinator from 2012-2014, has been hired as the new head coach of the Paris Musketeers in the European League of Football. Del Rio will now resume his coaching career in Europe after serving as an advisor for the Wisconsin Badgers in 2024.

Meanwhile, New Orleans Saints interim head coach and special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi interviewed for the Saints’ full-time head coach job on Friday. Rizzi, who coached under Sean Payton in New Orleans, is presumably a candidate to replace Kotwica in Denver.

One potential in-house candidate to replace Kotwica could be special teams assistant coach Chris Banjo. In addition to Rizzi and Banjo, seven other names to watch are Chris Tabor, John Fassel, Joe DeCamillis, Derius Swinton II, Jeff Modkins, Heath Farwell and Richard Hightowe, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

The NFL’s Rooney Rule states that the Broncos must interview at least one minority candidate for their open coordinator position. Expect the team to start lining up interviews soon.

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Twitter reacts to Broncos firing special teams coach Ben Kotwica

The Broncos made a somewhat surprising move on Friday by firing ST coach Ben Kotwica. Here’s how fans and pundits reacted to the news.

The Denver Broncos fired special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica in a somewhat surprising move on Friday. Here’s a sampling of how fans and pundits reacted to the news on Twitter/X.

After parting ways with Kotwica, the Broncos will now seek a replacement. One potential candidate could be ex-New Orleans Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi, who served as a special teams coordinator under Sean Payton with the Saints from 2019-2021.

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Another option just opened up for interim Saints head coach Darren Rizzi

Another option just opened up for interim Saints head coach Darren Rizzi. Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos fired their special teams coordinator:

Another option just opened up for interim New Orleans Saints head coach Darren Rizzi. Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos fired their special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. The Broncos finished in the top half of the league for yards allowed on both punt returns (251) and kick returns (604), but they were tied for the sixth-highest average of yards per punt allowed (48.7) and gave up the second-most punting yardage (3,849). Only the Cleveland Browns were worse. Clearly that wasn’t good enough.

Rizzi is interviewing for the Saints’ full-time head coaching position on Friday. But if he doesn’t get that job and doesn’t plan on working under someone else considered for it, it’s easy to imagine him joining Payton and many of his former coworkers in Denver. Payton brought Rizzi to New Orleans back in 2019.

He has a lot of special teams experience even before coming to the Saints. Rizzi coached the Miami Dolphins kicking units for years and he’s widely regarded around the league. Even if he doesn’t end up in Denver or stay in New Orleans, he shouldn’t be out of work long. We’ll just have to wait and see what’s next for him.

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There’s one obvious candidate for the Broncos’ ST coach opening

After firing special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica, the Broncos will likely consider Darren Rizzi as a replacement.

After firing special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica on Friday, the Denver Broncos will now seek a replacement.

There’s one obvious candidate.

Darren Rizzi served as a special teams coordinator under Sean Payton with the New Orleans Saints from 2019-2021. When Payton left the team in 2022, Rizzi was promoted to assistant head coach in addition to his ST role.

Rizzi took over as an interim head coach in New Orleans last fall after the Saints fired Dennis Allen. The 54-year-old Rizzi went 3-5 in 2024.

Rizzi will get an opportunity to interview for the Saints’ full-time job, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has said Rizzi is “available,” seemingly suggesting New Orleans is going a different direction for their HC opening. Rizzi also interviewed for the New York Jets’ HC job.

One potential in-house candidate for the Broncos is assistant special teams coach Chris Banjo, who has interviewed for a coordinator position with the San Francisco 49ers this offseason. Rizzi seems like the name to watch, though.

Payton’s staff last fall included 14 former Saints. We’ll see if Rizzi’s name is added to that list in 2025.

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Two months after blocked field goal, Broncos fire special teams coach Ben Kotwica

The Broncos have fired special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica, according to NFL Network.

The Denver Broncos have fired special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica, according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.

This is a somewhat surprising move given that the Broncos’ special teams units ranked high in several categories this season and head coach Sean Payton has repeated noted the club’s turnaround on ST over the last two seasons.

The team’s most notable special teams blunder came in Week 10 against the Kansas City Chiefs when Denver lost 16-14 after a blocked field goal. Kansas City had identified Alex Forsyth as a weakness on the field goal unit and the Chiefs exploited that weakness to block the kick.

Payton defended Forsyth after the incident and instead pointed to the coaching staff.

“This isn’t on the player,” Payton said in November. “This is on all of us. This is on us as coaches.”

Broncos returner Marvin Mims was named a Pro Bowler and All-Pro this season after leading the NFL with 15.7 yards per punt return, and kicker Wil Lutz tied a franchise record with 31 successful field goals. Riley Dixon ranked 10th with 42.0 net yards per punt and sixth with 33 punts downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line this season.

Two days after the blocked field goal in Kansas City, assistant head coach Mike Westhoff — who helped oversee the special teams units — stepped down from his position due to health concerns. Kotwica won’t return in 2025, either.

Chris Banjo, Denver’s assistant special teams coach, has interviewed for the San Francisco 49ers’ special teams coordinator role. Banjo could be an in-house candidate for the Broncos, but a key name to watch is Darren Rizzi.

Rizzi served as the New Orleans Saints’ special teams coordinator under Payton from 2019-2021. After Payton left the Saints, Rizzi was promoted to assistant head coach and special teams coordinator. He served as interim head coach and went 3-5 after New Orleans fired Dennis Allen in 2024.

The Saints are now seeking a full-time head coach, seemingly making Rizzi available. If hired, Rizzi certainly wouldn’t be the first ex-Saint to follow Payton to Denver.

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