Denver Broncos case for an offensive-minded head coach
Jim Harbaugh: Michigan HC
It’s a long shot, but Harbaugh is my favorite potential coach for the Denver Broncos. We’ve been discussing the possibility of him in Denver for weeks now, but the buzz has been building that he’s eyeing an NFL return. His name is showing up in Las Vegas’ HC discussions, and the longtime QB/Coach would be an excellent option to right the ship here.
After all, that’s exactly what he did in San Francisco. When he took over in 2011, the 49ers had been floundering for the better part of a decade. #1 overall pick Alex Smith looked like a bust and they hadn’t had a winning season or playoff berth since Jeff Garcia left. Harbaugh came in, got Alex Smith to start playing his now-trademark efficient football, and took Colin Kaepernick to a Super Bowl.
Obviously, the situation in San Francisco blew up eventually due to extenuating circumstances, but these were near-entirely outside of Harbaugh’s control and his 44-19-1 record as an HC in the NFL speaks for itself. He was actually linked to Denver as far back as 2011, and I would absolutely love it if he came in and continued his NFL story here.
Pep Hamilton: Houston Texans OC
The fact that Pep helped squeeze 4 wins out of a roster in shambles, on the arm of a 4th round rookie QB is impressive enough. David Mills looked incredibly solid, especially given his situation, and finished the year with more TDs and better efficiency than three first-round picks in Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, and Justin Fields.
Hamilton clearly had a huge part in the QB’s development and performance along with David Culley, and he’s worked with an impressive list of QB’s in his time in the league. The 47-year-old former Howard QB has been working in the NFL since 2003 and has been with everyone from Chad Pennington and Jay Cutler earlier in his career to Andrew Luck, Justin Herbert, and now Davis Mills.
He’s been an assistant head coach in Cleveland and with Harbaugh at Michigan and was HC of the DC Defenders in the XFL, so while this would be a step up he is familiar with the role.
Time for Change in Denver
I think there are definitely positives in the defensive side of our potential coaching pool. Brian Flores would be a great get, Dan Quinn is a hot name right now, and there is a case for finding a good leader who holds the team together, regardless of his area of expertise.
Yet after cycling through Vance Joseph and Vic Fangio while betting on our defense and flipping through quarterbacks, another hire here would feel like a lateral move at best, and stagnation at worst.
If a new dawn is to rise in Denver, we need better quarterback play, and a great play-caller will put whichever passer we get in the best position to win. And it’s time to win.