This shouldn’t surprise anyone, but more former New Orleans Saints coaches have been hired by Sean Payton with the Denver Broncos. Denver 9 Sports’ Mike Klis reports that Joe Lombardi and Michael Wilhoite are joining Payton on the Broncos — they both spent the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers before being dismissed earlier this year.
Lombardi’s role has yet to be defined, though he’s in consideration for the offensive coordinator job that Ronald Curry chose to pass on in staying with the Saints. He’s worked with Payton in New Orleans as his quarterbacks coach in the past. Wilhoite is holding the same title he had in L.A. as linebackers coach; when he was with the Saints, he helped out on special teams and worked as a defensive assistant.
They’re joining a group of former Saints coaches on the move to Denver. Payton hired away offensive assistants Zach Strief and Declan Doyle for promotions on his Broncos staff while convincing Mike Westhoff to end his retirement and come oversee the special teams units. He also brought in former Saints strength and conditioning coach Dan Darlymple who Dennis Allen dismissed last year. None of these coaches are irreplaceable for New Orleans, and many of them weren’t with the team anyway. But it sure is going to be startling to see so many familiar faces roaming another sideline.
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