Broncos should not make Ejiro Evero interim HC or HC in 2023
There has been talk within the fanbase that the Broncos should make Ejiro Evero the interim head coach if Nathaniel Hackett gets fired or even make him the head coach in 2023. To me, both are bad ideas and should not be taken into consideration or acted on.
This is not meant to dog on Evero, who has done an excellent job this year, his first year as a defensive coordinator in the NFL. Outside of the rush defense not being much better than last year, Evero has constructed arguably the best unit in football.
For that reason, and because of Nathaniel Hackett’s gross incompetence, many have called for the team to fire Hackett and make Evero the interim head coach. I believe this to be a bad idea. Firstly, if Hackett did get fired at some point this season and Evero was appointed as the interim HC, he’d be spending less time with the defense, which has been the long bright spot for the Broncos this year.
I understand that if Hackett does get canned, the season is most definitely over at that point, so why would it matter if Evero spends less time with the defense? Well, to me, it’s important to keep as much continuity with the defense as possible. Primarily hearing one voice in Evero likely will continue to help the team as they progress through the rest of the season.
Secondly, I have even seen some fans suggest that the team make him the head coach beginning in 2023. I also think this is a bad idea as well. The Broncos have hired three consecutive first-time head coaches in Vance Joseph, Vic Fangio, and Nathaniel Hackett.
Moreover, think of the last few head coaches the Broncos had hired before that. Gary Kubiak, John Fox, and Mike Shanahan. Each of those men had been head coaches before coming to Denver as the head coach.
And guess what, each of them saw great success as head coach of the Broncos. History would tell us that hiring first-time head coaches usually do not work out. Doing the same with Ejiro Evero would be a mistake. I would also wonder what kind of staff he would build and if he has the proper connections to build a staff.
It’s clear that the staff Nathaniel Hackett assembled, outside of a couple of coaches, is not nearly good enough to coach a professional football team. To me, the proper course of action with Ejiro Evero is to keep him as the defensive coordinator for as long as possible.