The Denver Broncos simply cannot afford to get another head coaching search wrong. Since Gary Kubiak retired, the men chosen to lead the Denver Broncos have been:
- Vance Joseph (2017-2018)
- Vic Fangio (2019-2021)
- Nathaniel Hackett (2022)
The Broncos are bordering on cycling through head coaches as much as they have quarterbacks in the post-Peyton Manning era. It doesn’t help matters that hindsight tells a 20/20 story on the coaches that got away, candidates the Broncos passed on who have become very successful elsewhere. The team interviewed Kyle Shanahan in 2017 but passed on him for the “leader of men” Vance Joseph. The team interviewed Zac Taylor in 2019 before he was hired by the Bengals.
In 2022, the Broncos didn’t interview any of Brian Daboll, Doug Pederson, or Mike McDaniel. It’s possible that all of those coaches will be coaching in the playoffs in 2022-23. So what gives here? Has the team’s process of interviewing been bad? Have they not cast a wide enough net? Have they simply had poor judgment when it comes to ultimately picking someone?
Now, after saying all that, I’m going to give you some of the team’s potential 2022 head coaching candidates to avoid in 2023. That seems to go against the assertion the team hasn’t cast a wide enough net, but there are just certain coaches that stick out as not being good fits for the team right now.
Let’s jump in.
3 head coach candidates the Denver Broncos should avoid in 2023
1. Kellen Moore, OC, Dallas Cowboys
Just like some backup quarterbacks can carve out very successful NFL careers being exactly that, some offensive coordinators are in the perfect position to have long success without necessarily taking that next step up the coaching ladder. I’m not going to sit here and say that Kellen Moore should never be given an opportunity to be an NFL head coach, but in a day and age where the young offensive coordinator is en vogue, it’s odd that he doesn’t have a top job, isn’t it?
He’s interviewed for a few openings and yet remained with the Dallas Cowboys‘ staff, where he and Dak Prescott continue to do a fantastic job operating the Cowboys offensive attack.
And personally — this is nothing against Moore — I feel like this is the spot for Moore to be as of now. It’s good for Moore, it’s been good for Dak Prescott, and it’s been good for the Dallas Cowboys. Even when Prescott went down, we saw Cooper Rush come in and do a good job operating Moore’s offense. With that said, is he the type of coach that’s going to come in and command an entire locker room? I’m not so sure.
I don’t know Moore personally. Maybe my assessment of him from the outside looking in is way off. It just feels like he’s in the right spot right now and I don’t see the Broncos as a great fit.