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Broncos coach predictions: Ranking candidates from least likely to most likely

By Travis Wakeman

Jul 29, 2022; Onxard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn runs drills during training camp at River Ridge Fields in Oxnard, CA. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 29, 2022; Onxard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn runs drills during training camp at River Ridge Fields in Oxnard, CA. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Denver Broncos will wrap up their first round of head coaching interviews on Friday. The team may then look to do second interviews with some of the candidates.

There are currently five head coaching vacancies in the league and no team has yet to fill that hole. In addition to the Broncos, the Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers are all looking for a new coach.

The Broncos will have their sixth different coach (counting Jerry Rosburg) since winning Super Bowl 50. The Broncos need to get this decision right and it seems that all teams are being very thorough in their search.

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will be the last known candidate to have his first interview with the team. Following that, Greg Penner and his staff will really put their heads together and likely make a decision as soon as this coming week.

Here, we are going to take a look at each of the candidates and rank them. These rankings won’t necessarily be from best to worst but rather, who is most likely to land the head job next season.

One candidate, Jim Harbaugh, was already eliminated from the list when he chose to remain at the University of Michigan.

That leaves us with seven candidates to take over the job held last season by Nathaniel Hackett. Who is most likely to be the man hired by Penner, George Paton and the Denver Broncos?

Broncos coaching predictions

Denver Broncos
DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 31: Detroit Lions head football coach Jim Caldwell watches the action from the sidelines during the fourth quarter of the game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on December 31, 2017, in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit defeated Green Bay 35-11. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

7. Jim Caldwell

One of the first interviews the Broncos conducted in this process was that of former Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell.

Caldwell has not been a head coach since the 2017 season but is interested in re-joining those ranks. He was successful in that regard, taking the Colts to the Super Bowl and having winning seasons in three of the four years he coached the Lions.

Caldwell has a lengthy coaching background that started in the college game before he came to the NFL. He has been a quarterbacks coach for numerous teams and could have the eye to help Russell Wilson get back on the right track.

But Caldwell is certainly not the splashy hire that the Broncos seem to be aiming for. Despite his success in the league, he has just a 62-50 overall record and a good portion of his success can be attributed to taking over a Colts team that had a great run under Tony Dungy, who was there before him.

Given what the Broncos are facing in terms of turning around a long downtrodden franchise, Caldwell may not be the right man for the job.

Though no coach on this list can be dismissed entirely, it would seem fairly shocking if Caldwell ended up being the man chosen for the spot.

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