Tag: Coach

Broncos lose yet another coach (but a new hire could soon follow)

Chris Banjo is set to leave the Broncos to become the Jets’ ST coordinator. Meanwhile, Darren Rizzi might be in line to get Denver’s ST job.

The Denver Broncos have lost yet another member of Sean Payton’s coaching staff.

Broncos assistant special teams coach Chris Banjo is set to leave the team to become the new special teams coordinator of the New York Jets, according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Denver now has five coaching staff openings.

Banjo, 34, was a safety and special teams ace in the NFL from 2013-2022, spending time with four teams, including a stint with the New Orleans Saints under Payton. When Payton became the Broncos’ head coach in 2023, he hired Banjo as an assistant coach right after the ex-safety retired from playing.

Denver has now lost all three special teams coaches from last season. Mike Westhoff retired last November, Ben Kotwica was fired earlier this month and Banjo has now left for a promotion elsewhere.

The good news for the Broncos is that ex-Saints interim head coach/special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi could be joining Payton’s staff soon. Kellen Moore is believed to be a leading candidate to get the head coach job in New Orleans, which would make Rizzi available for Denver.

If Rizzi does not get the HC job with the Saints, he will likely land with the Broncos and Klis has reported that assistant Phil Galiano could join Rizzi in Denver. Rizzi potentially landing with the Broncos might not be finalized until after New Orleans makes its hire official.

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

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Mike McCarthy’s decision could impact the Broncos

Mike McCarthy won’t join the Saints. Now all eyes turn to Darren Rizzi, who is a candidate for the Broncos’ special teams job.

Mike McCarthy will not become the next head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

McCarthy has decided to not take a head coach job in 2025, opting to instead focus on the 2026 hiring cycle, similar to the decision Mike Vrabel made last year.

Unfortunately, McCarthy’s delay could have big implications for the Denver Broncos. McCarthy was perhaps the most high-profile coach available for the Saints, and New Orleans must now focus on other options.

Yesterday, KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis reported that if McCarthy or Kellen Moore are hired by the Saints, ex-interim coach/special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi would be in line to become Denver’s new ST coach.

McCarthy won’t take the job. Now we wait to see if Moore gets it. If Moore also turns it down, Rizzi might become a leading candidate.

Meanwhile, Broncos assistant special teams coach Chris Banjo has also received interest from other clubs, including the New York Jets. If Rizzi ends up staying in New Orleans, perhaps Denver will consider promoting Banjo. Stay tuned.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Vance Joseph not among Assistant Coach of the Year finalists (one ex-Bronco is)

Vance Joseph is not a finalist for Assistant Coach of the Year, but Vic Fangio is.

The Associated Press announced finalists for its 2024 end-of-season NFL awards last week and three Denver Broncos were recognized.

Broncos coach Sean Payton (Coach of the Year), cornerback Pat Surtain (Defensive Player of the Year) and quarterback Bo Nix (Offensive Rookie of the Year) are all finalists to take home hardware following the 2024 season.

Denver’s defensive coordinator, Vance Joseph, is not among the five Assistant Coach of the Year finalists. Instead, Buffalo Bills OC Joe Brady, Philadelphia Eagles DC Vic Fangio, Minnesota Vikings DC Brian Flores and former Detroit Lions coordinators Aaron Glenn (DC) and Ben Johnson (OC) were nominated.

Fangio, of course, is a former Broncos head coach. Philly’s defense allowed 17.8 points per game in 2024, second-fewest in the NFL. Denver’s defense ranked third, allowing 18.3 PPG. Minnesota (19.5) ranked fourth and Detroit (20.1) ranked sixth.

The AP‘s award winners will be announced during NFL Honors on Feb. 6. The awards show will begin at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on Fox and NFL Network, but the program will not air live in all time zones.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Broncos dismiss ILBs coach Greg Manusky (and more coaching staff updates)

The Broncos have parted ways with ILBs coach Greg Manusky. Denver now has multiple positions to fill on Sean Payton’s staff.

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has fired inside linebackers coach Greg Manusky, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero first reported on Tuesday. The news has since been confirmed by KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis and others.

Manusky, 58, has spent time with six NFL teams, serving as Denver’s ILBs coach over the last two seasons. He is the second coach Payton has fired this offseason, joining ex-special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica.

The Broncos will now have to fill or reshuffle at least four spots on Payton’s staff this offseason. Denver has openings at ST coordinator, ILB coach, pass game coordinator and tight ends coach.

John Morton, the Broncos’ old passing game coordinator, left the team to become the new offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions. Denver’s old tight ends coach, Declan Doyle, also left to become OC of the Chicago Bears.

The Broncos could also lose assistant special teams coach Chris Banjo, who has drawn interest from multiple times, including the New York Jets.

One of the open positions has a clear frontrunner. If he does not get the full-time head coach job with the New Orleans Saints, Darren Rizzi “is in line” to become Denver’s next ST coach.

We will track the team’s upcoming coaching staff moves on Broncos Wire.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Could another Eagles coach be poached by the Super Bowl host city?

Could the Saints be the second Super Bowl host city in the last three years to poach an Eagles coordinator shortly after the big game?

The New Orleans Saints head coaching search is coming down to the wire, as Kellen Moore and Mike McCarthy both have interviews lined up in the coming days, and the timeline grows ever longer from the start of the hiring process to now. With that, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo made an interesting connection.

The last time the Philadelphia Eagles were in a Super Bowl (against the Kansas City Chiefs, nonetheless), it took place at State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals. And the Cardinals wound up hiring Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon as their head coach shortly after, and kept him around in their building for the future.

Now the set lines itself up again, as the Eagles will do battle with the Chiefs, this time in Caesars Superdome. Additionally, this year’s host team, the Saints, are looking for a head coach and happen to be interviewing one of the Eagles’ coordinators in Kellen Moore.

While it may be a little bit of a stretch, it is not hard to think that the convenience of the week off before the Super Bowl, allowing for further interviews, before having a candidate in your building competing for one of the most prestigious trophies in the world could sway your opinion as a general manager. Will Moore be the head coach for the Saints? Who knows. But the connections have begun to be made between each candidate the Saints have been interviewing, and it will all come down to who they believe is the best fit.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Broncos lose another coach, and one more could be on the way out (but there’s good news)

Bad news: John Morton has left the Broncos for a promotion. Good news: Jim Leonhard and Davis Webb appear poised to remain in Denver.

The Denver Broncos have lost another member of Sean Payton’s coaching staff.

Broncos pass game coordinator John Morton has left the team to become the new offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, according to multiple reports (via Lions Wire).

Morton, 55, coached under Payton with the New Orleans Saints in 2006 before later working under Dan Campbell with the Lions in 2022. He reunited with Payton in 2023 and spent the last two seasons in Denver. Morton is now set to reunite with Campbell after getting a promotion in Detroit.

The Broncos previously lost assistant general manager Darren Mougey to the New York Jets and tight ends coach Declan Doyle to the Chicago Bears. Morton is now the third staff member to depart in 2025, and he might not be the last as assistant special teams coach Chris Banjo has received interest from at least three clubs.

Here’s the good news: Denver won’t lose defensive backs coach Jim Leonhard this offseason, and the team has also prioritized keeping quarterbacks coach Davis Webb in 2025, according to 9News.

Leonhard and Webb are two high-profile young coaches who will likely become coordinator candidates in the not-too-distant future. It sounds like the Broncos might be able to keep both in Denver for at least one more season.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Ex-Broncos head coach returns to Super Bowl with the Eagles

After being fired by the Broncos, Vic Fangio served as a consultant with the Eagles in 2022. He later joined Philly as DC in 2024.

Vic Fangio didn’t pan out as a head coach with the Denver Broncos, but there’s no question that he’s one of the top defensive coordinators in the NFL.

After being fired by the Broncos following the 2021 season, Fangio served as a consultant with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022. The Eagles went on to reach Super Bowl LVII that season but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 38-35.

Fangio then served as the Miami Dolphins’ defensive coordinator in 2023 after Sean Payton unsuccessfully tried to recruit him to the Broncos. Fangio and the Dolphins mutually agreed to part ways after one season and he returned to the Eagles as their defensive coordinator in 2024.

Philly and Fangio are now back in the Super Bowl, and they have a rematch with the Chiefs on deck in Super Bowl LIX.

Through three playoff games, Fangio’s defense has allowed 10, 22 and 23 points while forcing 10 takeaways. The Eagles allowed 17.8 points per game in the regular season, second-best in the NFL just behind the Los Angeles Chargers (17.7). Now they’ve got a tough battle against KC up next.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Ex-Broncos QBs coach gets OC job with Seahawks

Klint Kubiak, who had two stints with the Broncos, joined the Seahawks over the weekend as their new offensive coordinator.

Klint Kubiak’s coaching resume continues to grow.

Klint, the son of former NFL coach Gary Kubiak, joined the Seattle Seahawks as their new offensive coordinator over the weekend.

The younger Kubiak got his start in the NFL as an offensive quality control coach with the Minnesota Vikings in 2013. He later joined the Denver Broncos as an offensive assistant in 2016.

After three years in Denver, Kubiak re-joined the Vikings as a quarterbacks coach in 2019 when Gary served as Minnesota’s assistant head coach and offensive advisor. Klint was later promoted to offensive coordinator in 2021.

The younger Kubiak returned to the Broncos in 2022 as a passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He held a similar role with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023 before serving as an OC with the New Orleans Saints in 2024.

Kubiak now lands his third OC job in the NFL. The 37-year-old coach would undoubtedly like to follow in the footsteps of his father who went from QBs coach to offensive coordinator to head coach.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Broncos just got huge news for their 2025 coaching staff

Broncos defensive backs coach Jim Leonhard will remain with the team in 2025, which is huge news for Denver’s staff.

The Denver Broncos have already lost two staff members this offseason and two more departures could be on deck, but the team received some very good news on Monday.

Broncos secondary coach Jim Leonhard has elected to remain with the team in 2025, according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Leonhard has defensive coordinator and head coach experience from his time at Wisconsin, and “at least three teams” have shown interest in him as a defensive coordinator candidate, according to Rapoport.

Despite being in-demand, Leonhard isn’t going anywhere.

Leonhard is way overqualified for his current position, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the Broncos gave him a big raise and/or assurance that he will receive a promotion in the future. That’s merely speculation, though.

What we know for sure is that Leonhard is staying in Denver, and that’s a huge win for the Broncos when multiple coaches are on their way out.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Yet another Broncos coach is a candidate to leave this offseason

Broncos pass game coordinator is a candidate for the Lions’ offensive coordinator position.

Sean Payton built quite the staff with the Denver Broncos.

Now other clubs are starting to poach from that staff.

So far this offseason, the Broncos have lost assistant general manager Darren Mougey to the New York Jets and tight ends coach Declan Doyle to the Chicago Bears. More departures could be on the way.

Denver’s pass game coordinator, John Morton, is a “candidate to watch” for the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator position, according to a report from NFL Network (via Lions Wire).

Morton, 55, previously served as a senior offensive assistant with the Lions in 2022 before joining the Broncos in 2023, so he’s familiar with Detroit. Morton has already interviewed with Dan Campbell for the Lions’ OC position, according to NFLN.

Morton could be the third staff member to leave Denver in 2025, and he might not be the last. Three teams are interested in Broncos assistant special teams coach Chris Banjo, and clubs have also interviewed defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and executive David Shaw this offseason.

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

[vertical-gallery id=620142]