Tag: coaching staff

Wisconsin safeties coach leaves for Big 12 defensive coordinator position

Wisconsin safeties coach leaves for Big 12 defensive coordinator position

Wisconsin safeties coach Alex Grinch was named the new defensive coordinator at UCF on Tuesday.

Grinch departs after one season with the Badgers. He was the defensive coordinator at USC (2022-2023) and Oklahoma (2019-2021) under coach Lincoln Riley.

The veteran assistant is a two-time semifinalist (2017, 2019) for the Broyles Award, which is awarded to the top assistant coach in college football. He was also a well-known defensive coordinator for all of the wrong reasons during his time with the Sooners and Trojans. His defenses ranked among the worst in the nation for an extended period.

  • 2023 (at USC, though was fired midway through the year): No. 119 in total defense with 432.8 yards allowed per game, No. 121 in scoring defense (34.4 points allowed per game)
  • 2022 (at USC): No. 106 in total defense (423.9 yards allowed), No. 93 in scoring defense (29.2 points)
  • 2021 (at Oklahoma): No. 76 in total defense (391.5 yards allowed), No. 59 in scoring defense (25.8 points)

He gets another shot at leading a defense, joining a UCF staff under new coach Scott Frost — yes, former Nebraska coach Scott Frost.

Wisconsin will search for a new safeties coach entering the 2025 season. It will be Luke Fickell’s third safeties coach in as many years: Colin Hitschler held the position in 2023 before moving to Alabama.

The Badgers already made one staff change this offseason: hiring offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes from Kansas. Given the program’s top-down turnover of the last four seasons, continuity will be a good thing moving forward.

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Do the Broncos have any future head coaches on Sean Payton’s staff?

Vance Joseph is the most likely candidate among Broncos coaches to draw head coach interest this offseason.

The best NFL teams often lose members of their coaching staff during the offseason. It’s a good problem to have.

For the Denver Broncos, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is the most obvious and most likely candidate to draw head coach interest this offseason. Someday in the future, quarterbacks coach Davis Webb might also get looks as a potential head coach candidate.

Sean Payton’s coaching tree includes Dan Campbell, Doug Marrone and Dennis Allen. Are there any coaches on his current staff who could become head coaches in the future?

“Itā€™s an interesting league,” Payton said in June. “We went through ā€” you hear the term that it is a copycat league. There is success with letā€™s say a young Sean McVay, then there is a couple of years where I am getting calls from GMs asking about not only candidates on my staff, but other candidates. It was always, ā€˜We are interested in an offensive play-caller.ā€™ So I would say, ā€˜So you are not interested in the next Bill Belichick?ā€™ I think this past year, we saw a number of defensive coaches. Weā€™ve seen special teams coaches with John Harbaugh, who I worked with in Philly. Weā€™ve seen offensive line coaches. There is a little cycle to that.

“Ultimately, you are looking for and projecting who can lead. Sometimes, I think it is a little like the quarterback position. You may have a talented prospect that maybe ends up in the wrong place. In three years, he is back in the coordinatorā€™s role and who knows if he ended up in another place. Iā€™ve shared that story with you and the late [former Saints owner] Mr. [Tom] Benson coming to me those early years and saying, ā€˜Hey, we have all of these coaches getting interviews for head jobs. I said, ā€˜Mr. B, we need to worry if no one is interviewing them.ā€™ I love seeing what Dan Campbell is doing, I love seeing Dennis Allen now, Doug Marrone and a number of these guys that I have worked with. I want that for them. Itā€™s hard to predict though.”Ā 

Payton wasn’t willing to give any predictions earlier this year, but Joseph seems likely to get interviews this offseason. Joseph, of course, previously served as Denver’s head coach from 2017-2018. We’ll see if other teams come calling in the offseason.

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Broncos have a promising up-and-coming coach in Davis Webb

Broncos coaches have been full of praise for young quarterbacks coach Davis Webb.

The Denver Broncos seem to have a gem in Davis Webb.

The 29-year-old coach was a backup quarterback in the NFL from 2017-2022 before jumping straight into coaching with the Broncos in 2023. Sean Payton hired Webb as the team’s quarterbacks coach last fall and the young coach quickly drew praise from his new boss.

ā€œHeā€™s been a great asset,ā€ Payton said in 2023. Added offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi: “I certainly see a bright future for him in the coaching profession.ā€

After hiring Payton and Webb, Denver saw quarterback Russell Wilson improve his completion, touchdown and interception totals from 2022-2023. The Broncos moved on from Wilson this spring and Webb is now helping mentor the team’s rookie quarterback, Bo Nix.

ā€œHe has a lot of experience obviously playing the position, and thatā€™s always helpful,” Lombardi said in June earlier this year. “A lot of energy, smart, works really hard. His meetings are always prepared. He gives them a lot of good information but makes them entertaining. Heā€™s just really good with the technology and using the audio-visual to maximize the learning experience. [Heā€™s] just real sharp and a hard worker, and thatā€™s what you want from coaches. [Heā€™s] easy to get along with.ā€

Payton has also praised Webb for those traits, and Nix is putting together a case to win Offensive Rookie of the Year this fall. Payton is the mastermind, of course, but a great head coach is aided by a great staff, and Webb’s experience at quarterback has been huge for Denver.

ā€œI obviously went through it, and I had Eli Manning in the room, which was pretty great,” Webb said in June when asked about his experience playing QB in the NFL. “[Nix] has a different experience with ā€˜Stiddyā€™ (Jarrett Stidham) being his second year in the offense, Zach [Wilson] being in multiple systems throughout his career. So itā€™s a good room to have that for a young guy.

“Over the offseason, I called plenty of coaches, plenty of former teammates just kind of talking, ā€˜Hey, back then this is what we did. What would you change? What would you like now? What was really important? What wasnā€™t?ā€™ So thatā€™s been a process honestly since February in regards to just gathering information and kind of getting everybody ready.ā€

If Webb is going to move up the coaching ranks as some in Denver believe he will, the next logical progression would be an eventual promotion to offensive coordinator — either with the Broncos or elsewhere. After that, Davis could perhaps one day become a head coach candidate. That’s a conversation for down the road. For now, Denver’s happy to have Webb coaching up the team’s QBs.

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Phillip Lindsay has an interesting take on Sean Payton’s Broncos

Phillip Lindsay fired off a strange tweet about Sean Payton and Vance Joseph during the Broncos’ game against the Raiders.

The Denver Broncos are 7-5 and currently on pace to make the NFL playoffs. Consequently, coach Sean Payton is getting shouts as a Coach of the Year candidate, but not everybody’s buying into the hype.

Former Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay fired off an interesting take on Twitter/X that seemingly suggested defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, not Payton, should get credit for the team’s success in 2024.

“Like I said we donā€™t talk about VJ and that Defense enough!!” Lindsay tweeted on Sunday. “Success runs through the Denver Broncos defense Sean tried to make it about HIM!! He got bailed out thank you Defense.”

It’s a curious take from Lindsay because (a) Joseph and the defense have been praised this season and (b) Payton hired Joseph and stuck with him through last season’s initial struggles. It doesn’t have to be an either/or scenario — Payton and Joseph have both helped the Broncos have success.

Lindsay walked back his take a little bit by later tweeting, “I donā€™t hate Sean but I donā€™t have to agree on all his decisions.” He also said the coach is doing a “great job” in a follow-up tweet on Monday.

It seems that Lindsay’s beef with Payton relates to the coach’s utilization of the running backs and some timeout and game management on Sunday.

Payton explained during his Monday conference call with reporters that the Raiders set up their defense to take away Denver’s rushing attack.

“Yesterday was going to be a tough day for any of the backs,” Payton said. “It was just a heavy blitz, heavy run-front plan by the Raiders. So quickly we had to adjust.”

Lindsay, 30, played for the Broncos from 2018-2020. He now works for 104.3 The Fan.

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Former Broncos TEs coach takes over as UNC-Charlotteā€™s interim coach

Tim Brewster, who coached Broncos tight ends from 2005-2006, has been named interim head coach of the Charlotte 49ers.

A former Denver Broncos assistant coach is getting a head coach job at the college level, at least on an interim basis.

After parting ways with Biff Poggi halfway through their season, the Charlotte 49ers have named Tim Brewster their interim head coach.

Brewster, 64, is a veteran coach who served as Denver’s tight ends coach from 2005-2006. The Broncos’ top tight ends in those two seasons Jeb Putzier, Stephen Alexander and Tony Scheffler.

Brewster left Denver in 2007 to become the head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. After going 15-30 over four seasons, Brewster was let go in 2010. Since then, he has spent time with eight other colleges, each time as an assistant coach.

Before joining UNC-Charlotte as an associate head coach and tight ends coach earlier this year, Brewster served as Colorado’s tight ends coach under Deion Sanders in 2023. He also coached with Sanders at Jackson State in 2022. Before that, Brewster spent time at Florida, North Carolina, Texas A&M, Florida State and Mississippi State.

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Broncos ST coach Ben Kotwica thankful for Mike Westhoff’s mentorship

“He’s been a mentor, but most importantly he’s been a friend,” Broncos special teams coach Ben Kotwica said of retiring coach Mike Westhoff.

Finally, 76-year-old Mike Westhoff gets to actually retire. And there’s no talking him out of it this time.

After coaching New York Jets special teams units from 2001-2012, Westhoff stepped down from coaching in 2013. Four years later, Sean Payton convinced Westhoff to unretire midway through the 2017 season to help the New Orleans Saints get their special teams turned around.

After one more season in New Orleans, Westhoff retired a second time. Five years later, Payton came calling again and Westhoff joined the Denver Broncos as an assistant head coach in 2023.

Westhoff was set to retire again following last season, but Payton had team owner Greg Penner talk the coach into returning for the 2024 season. Now, midway through the season, Westhoff is retiring again, this time due to health concerns.

Ben Kotwica, Denver’s special teams coordinator who previously overlapped with Westhoff with the Jets from 2007-2012, spoke about his mentor’s retirement following Thursday’s practice.

“When I ended up getting into the league, Mike and I worked together back in the day with the Jets back in 2007. To get back together here over the last couple years and help shape this unit — which arguably is one of the top ten in the year — [has] really been rewarding and special.

“He’s been a mentor, but most importantly he’s been a friend. So I’m very grateful for time — we’ll obviously stay connected moving forward, but I just wanted to thank him for everything that he’s given me.”

The Broncos now have two dedicated special teams coaches remaining on staff in Kotwica and assistant Chris Banjo. Westhoff can now enjoy retirement — more than a decade after initially stepping away from football in 2013.

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Sean Payton says Mike Westhoff is a Hall of Fame-worthy coach

The Broncos will miss retiring assistant coach Mike Westhoff, who Sean Payton said is worthy of Hall of Fame consideration.

Earlier this week, news broke that Denver Broncos assistant head coach Mike Westhoff was stepping down due to health concerns.

After Wednesday’s practice, Broncos head coach Sean Payton began his press conference by addressing Westhoff’s retirement.

ā€œI want to start real quickly and I know thereā€™s already been a release regarding Mike Westhoff,” Payton said. “He and Iā€™ve been together for quite some time. I think over the last two and a half weeks, he started having some blurriness in one of his eyes. Of course he didnā€™t say anything initially, heā€™s kind of a tough sucker. This [has] progressively been concerning to him. After the game, he went through some scans ā€” went through quite a bit of medical work ā€” and he felt, as well as his medical team, that it was in his best interest to step away. Thereā€™s a stress level obviously that takes place that can take its toll and certainly at his age with the condition.

“I know heā€™s gotten the treatment heā€™s needed, and heā€™ll continue to monitor that. I would say this ā€” because I didnā€™t know him ā€” I always knew of him, and we hired him mid-season in New Orleans. Itā€™s not often that assistant coaches get into the [Pro Football] Hall of Fame. Iā€™m not ā€” Iā€™m just saying, if there was, heā€™s one of those top special teamsā€™ coordinators. Certainly, if you look at our numbers in two years relative to where weā€™ve come, heā€™s done a tremendous job here. Weā€™ll miss him. Certainly, weā€™ll stay in touch.”

Payton convinced Westhoff to unretire in 2023 to help oversee Denver’s special teams units. The Broncos also hired special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica and assistant Chris Banjo. The plan was for Westhoff to help for one season and then have Kotwica completely take over in 2024. After last season went so well, though, Payton told owner Greg Penner to ask Westhoff to come back for one more season.

“[A]fter last season, I actually went in and saw Greg and said, ā€˜Hey why donā€™t you meet with him and see if you can talk him into coming back. He doesnā€™t have to come back until training camp,'” Payton recalled. “So Gregā€™s a good salesman and that went well.”

Westhoff will now retire again to focus on his health. Payton’s unlikely to get him to unretire a fourth time, so the Broncos will thank the coach for his service and move forward with Kotwica and Banjo.

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Broncos assistant head coach Mike Westhoff steps down with health concerns

ā€œItā€™s not easy to make this decision, but this was a wake-up call that I needed to put my health first,ā€ Mike Westhoff said.

Denver Broncos assistant head coach Mike Westhoff has stepped down from his role with the team due to health concerns, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero first reported on Tuesday evening.

Westhoff, 76, experienced vision problems last week and after undergoing testing on Monday, he has decided to step away from the team and return to his home in Florida.

ā€œItā€™s not easy to make this decision, but this was a wake-up call that I needed to put my health first,ā€ Westhoff said, via NFL Network. ā€œThis team is very much headed in the right direction with a strong foundation and a winning culture. Iā€™m grateful to Sean for giving me the opportunity to contribute to a first-class organization and wish the Broncos the very best.ā€

Westhoff previously coached under Sean Payton with the New Orleans Saints from 2017-2018. Five years after Westhoff retired from coaching, Payton convinced him to unretire and join the Broncos in 2023 as an assistant head coach. Westhoff helped oversee the team’s special teams units over the last season and a half. He will now step aside to focus on his health.

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Wisconsin staffer stepping down from Badgers coaching staff after OWI arrest

Wisconsin staffer stepping down from Badgers coaching staff after OWI arrest

Jack Del Rio is stepping down from the Wisconsin coaching staff following his recent OWI arrest, according to Badgers head coach Luke Fickell.

Fickell opened his Monday press conference with a statement on the situation:

“Obviously we take everything incredibly seriously that happens, with our student-athletes or our staff,” Fickell began. “We had an issue this weekend that I think our administration has released a statement already. That happened with Jack Del Rio on Thursday. I’ve been in communication on Friday with our administration, and have had some communication with Jack, have sat down with him. He’ll be releasing a statement here I would imagine shortly after the press conference. That he’s going to move forward, he’s going to resign and move on. It’s a tough situation, decisions that all of us have to be able to take full responsibility for. So thatā€™s what Jack will do and weā€™ll continue to move forward.ā€

Del Rio then released the following:

“I’m grateful to Coach Fickell and the University of Wisconsin for the opportunity to work with such a talented coaching and support staff and some of the best young football players in the country. I have decided to step away from my position with the team, so they can focus all their attention on the remainder of the season.”

Here are further details of the incident, as first reported by BadgerExtra’s Colten Bartholomew.

Del Rio originally joined the Badgers staff over the summer after a long coaching tenure in the NFL, including as defensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders (2020-23), head coach for the then-Oakland Raiders (2015-17), defensive coordinator for Denver Broncos (2012-14) and head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2003-11).

Wisconsin (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) is back on the field on Saturday, Nov. 16 against the No. 1-ranked Oregon Ducks, needing just one more win to clinch bowl eligibility.

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Ex-Broncos DC Jack Del Rio arrested for OWI

Jack Del Rio was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Former Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, 61, was arrested last Friday for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, it was reported on Monday. Del Rio ran into a street sign and broke a fence, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.

Del Rio was a defensive coordinator in Denver from 2012-14, under head coach John Fox, before becoming a head coach in Oakland and Washington.

Prior to his arrest, Del Rio was a senior advisor to University of Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell. After his arrest, Del Rio resigned his post, according to ESPN.

“I’m grateful to Coach Fickell and the University of Wisconsin for the opportunity to work with such a talented coaching and support staff and some of the best young football players in the country,” Del Rio said in a statement Monday. “I have decided to step away from my position with the team, so they can focus all their attention on the remainder of the season.”

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