The Denver Broncos are entering into yet another head coach search to start 2023, and they simply cannot afford to get this one wrong. Reports indicate the team is going to be prioritizing “experience” this time around, but when CEO Greg Penner and GM George Paton met the media, they certainly made it sound like another first-time head coach was not out of the realm of possibility.
And it simply cannot be out of the realm of possibility.
Although many fans would prefer the Denver Broncos hire someone with experience as a head coach already on their résumé, how foolish would that have been in 2017 when candidates like Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay were available?
Exactly. And the Broncos messed that one up anyway. Those who don’t know history or forget it are doomed to repeat it. And the Broncos have to cast a wider net than just “experienced” guys available, which would limit the search greatly and could prevent the team from landing the best possible candidate.
3 rookie head coach candidates the Denver Broncos need to consider
1. DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator, San Francisco 49ers
Although the Denver Broncos have a viable young defensive coordinator to consider in their own building, the buzz for DeMeco Ryans as a future NFL head coach has been building for a couple of offseasons now. After watching his unit dominate from basically the start to the finish of the 2022 NFL season, it’s become clear that Ryans’ time as a coordinator and not a head coach is already of the “borrowed” variety.
The former Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker has transitioned seamlessly into the coaching world. He joined Kyle Shanahan’s staff as an assistant right when Shanahan was hired by the 49ers in 2017, and he’s worked for some of the best coaches in the league in that time besides just Shanahan.
He’s the successor to Robert Saleh, someone I consider to be one of the best head coaches in the game.
Interestingly enough, Ryans was selected with the 33rd overall pick by the Houston Texans in the 2006 NFL Draft, the first year Gary Kubiak and Kyle Shanahan were on the Houston staff. Robert Saleh joined the Houston staff in 2007 and so Saleh has not only worked with Ryans at the coaching level but he also coached him as a player.
Given Ryans is coming from the Shanahan coaching tree and would likely want an experienced offensive mind to run the show on that side of the ball, it would be fascinating to see what kind of coaching staff he would assemble. If it brings that 49ers brand of football to Denver, I’d be all for it.
2. Shane Steichen, offensive coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles
Another assistant coach who could become a first-time head coach in 2023 is Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen. His candidacy should not be diminished in the slightest by the Broncos or the fans of the team.
Steichen was initially hired into the NFL on Norv Turner’s coaching staff back in 2011 as a defensive assistant. At the time, the Chargers had Randy Mueller as a senior executive in the front office. Mueller was George Paton’s boss in Miami from 2005-06 with the Dolphins when Paton was the Director of Pro Personnel.
You see the three degrees of separation here?
Steichen would follow Norv Turner to the Cleveland Browns in 2013 and then joined Mike McCoy and Frank Reich with the San Diego chargers again in 2014. He continued to rise through the ranks there until he became interim offensive coordinator in 2019 and full-time offensive coordinator in 2020.
What’s significant about that timing? Nothing like getting promoted to your first OC gig in the NFL during the COVID year with a rookie quarterback, right? Steichen coached Justin Herbert his rookie season to 31 touchdowns and a 98.3 rating, the highest of his three-year career so far.
In 2021, he followed Nick Sirianni to the Philadelphia Eagles and has been instrumental in overseeing the development of league MVP candidate Jalen Hurts as well as overseeing one of the NFL’s best offenses.
As far as the Denver Broncos are concerned, how could they scoff at the chance to at least hear Steichen’s vision for the team? He’s been part of multiple quarterback developments of late, and while the dynamic between he and Russell Wilson would be fascinating to see, what if the Broncos can’t “fix” Russ?
Having a coach like Steichen in place to develop the next QB could give you some peace of mind.
3. Jerod Mayo, defensive coordinator, New England Patriots
If Jerod Mayo gets an audience with the Walton-Penner ownership group, it wouldn’t be his first audience with the Denver Broncos. Mayo interviewed for the Broncos’ job last offseason but obviously remained in New England.
It sounds like he’s now bursting at the seams to get a head coaching opportunity somewhere in the league, and he’s obviously done a tremendous job with that Patriots defense which ranks among the best in the NFL in every major category.
Mayo was the 10th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. He was the NFL defensive rookie of the year and became a Pro Bowler as well as an All-Pro before getting hired as the Patriots’ inside linebackers coach in 2019.
He’s steadily risen through the ranks ever since, earning the trust of head coach Bill Belichick over Belichick’s most precious area of the team: the defense.
Having a former player leading the locker room is something the Denver Broncos should be prioritizing along with experience. None of these things should be requirements, but having a former player in the locker room to resonate with the guys in that locker room could be a huge asset for this Broncos team.
Mayo has long been known for his unparalleled work ethic even dating back to when he was a rookie in the league and obviously, he carved out a very successful career, becoming a Super Bowl champion in the process.
5 significant, noticeable differences from the Broncos without Hackett
The result was the same (a loss) but there were some notable and significant differences for the Denver Broncos in their first game post-Nathaniel Hackett.
His pedigree is worth monitoring in terms of his leadership and ability to relate to the players, but his portfolio is so much deeper than football. His family has a military background, and he got into business after he retired from pro football. He’s a husband and father, and his endorsement from Bill Belichick shouldn’t be taken lightly.