Ten candidates to fill the Denver Broncos’ head-coaching vacancy after the firing of Nathaniel Hackett

Dec 27, 2022, 1:30 AM | Updated: 9:54 am

Senior Broncos Writer

DENVER — The page turns as quickly as Nathaniel Hackett’s 15-game tenure as Broncos head coach. And now, for the third time since January 2019 and the fourth time since Super Bowl 50, the Broncos will search for a new head coach.

It isn’t quite an annual tradition, but for the fifth time since January 2015, the Broncos are looking for a new head coach. We’ve got a lot of experience with this sort of search around here.

But with the potentially limitless budget of the NFL’s wealthiest owners, the Broncos sit in a different spot than in recent years. Which is why a list of potential candidates has a bit more “oomph,” in the parlance of Vic Fangio, than previous collections.

Last year’s collection of candidates largely lacked prior head-coaching experience.

You can expect something different this time.

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JIM CALDWELL, EX-DETROIT HEAD COACH

The more time that passes, the more impressive his work in Detroit looks. Detroit made the playoffs twice in four seasons with Caldwell. In other words, they had more postseason appearances with him than in 18 other seasons since 2000 with all other coaches. He left Detroit with a winning record. His in-season promotion to play-caller in Baltimore 10 years ago was perhaps the crucial factor in the Ravens earning their second Lombardi Trophy. And his meticulous nature was a perfect match for taking Peyton Manning from interception-prone young QB into an efficient, MVP-collecting machine. Perhaps no one was more responsible for Manning reaching the zenith that he maintained than Caldwell. And then he launched Matthew Stafford on a trajectory that made him one of the NFL’s best QBs.

“Me and Jim Caldwell were built very much the same way,” Manning told The Washington Post earlier this month.

Could you have a better endorsement than that?

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LESLIE FRAZIER, BUFFALO DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

George Paton knows Frazier well, having a first-hand view of his up-and-down tenure with the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota made the playoffs once in his three full seasons as head coach. But they did so with Christian Ponder at quarterback. Ponder became a first-round bust, and his failure to launch ultimately claimed Frazier as collateral damage.

Frazier is one of two Bills coaches who could earn consideration. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey is responsible for the development and blossoming of Josh Allen. But the reason why Frazier and Dorsey might be attractive is this: The adaptable philosophy of Sean McDermott — who learned well from Ron Rivera in Carolina — is proven to work.

Ex-Bills assistant Brian Daboll helped turn around the Giants despite the struggles of QB Daniel Jones. Former Rivera assistant Steve Wilks revived the Panthers after becoming their interim head coach this year. And Rivera himself overcame the distractions of the most dysfunctional organization in the NFL to turn Washington into a playoff contender. Unlike the Belichick tree, this one gets results that translate in other cities.

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JONATHAN GANNON, PHILADELPHIA DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

He interviewed well last year with the Broncos, and once again, the bright, 39-year-old defensive play caller has a top-10 defense.

The Eagles were 10th in total defense last year and second this year. He succeeded at getting buy-in from key veterans — most notably Fletcher Cox — and he got the best out of free-agent pickup Haason Reddick, who had a career year this season in his return to his home area. But what would his plan for Wilson be?

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JIM HARBAUGH, MICHIGAN HEAD COACH

The ex-49ers head coach is a human tornado. He would drive some people inside Broncos headquarters bonkers. He would also win. Harbaugh might come with a short shelf life; he lasted just four seasons in San Francisco before leaving after clashes with management. But he never had a losing season with a team that had eight consecutive sub-.500 campaigns before his arrival. Harbaugh would demand excellence from Wilson — and if he didn’t get it, wouldn’t hesitate to look elsewhere.

Harbaugh has never failed as a head coach. From the University of San Diego to Stanford University, San Francisco and now the University of Michigan, he’s won everywhere. He’s improved the fortunes at each stop. But with his beloved alma mater at the cusp of a national championship and having re-established primacy over its arch-rivals Ohio State, would he leave the place nearest and dearest to his soul?

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BEN JOHNSON, DETROIT OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

This year’s hot offensive mind the 36-year-old Johnson flourished in his first season calling plays. Detroit ranks fourth in total offense and fifth in scoring offense. They were 22nd and 25th, respectively, in both categories last year. And he breathed life into the listing career of Jared Goff, who has his highest ESPN QBR since 2018, when he piloted the Los Angeles Rams to Super Bowl LIII.

But is the timing right for Dan Campbell’s playcaller? After swinging and missing on three first-time head coaches and in need of a coach who can be an effective boss for Russell Wilson, the Broncos may need something different than what Johnson can provide at this point in time.

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SEAN PAYTON, EX-NEW ORLEANS HEAD COACH

Payton would cost the Broncos draft compensation to the New Orleans Saints for his rights. And the Broncos do not have an attractive situation — especially if Payton doesn’t think he can wring much out of Russell Wilson.

But Payton succeeded in his last major challenge. He took over the Saints in the wake of the damage Hurricane Katrina wreaked on the organization and the city. He signed an injured Drew Brees and was a talismanic force in guiding not just the team, but becoming a beloved civic leader in the wake of true disaster. When few believed in the Saints and even New Orleans itself, he did.

So, he wouldn’t look at Denver as something he couldn’t fix. However, other situations might simply be more attractive than the Broncos. He will have his pick of jobs. Can the Broncos offer enough to make it worth Payton’s while to climb aboard and eschew other offers?

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DAN QUINN, DALLAS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

In many ways, Quinn fits the profile of a coach who did well in his first stop and could improve on that with a second chance. He guided Atlanta to its first NFC championship in 18 seasons, and came within a blown 28-3 lead of earning the Falcons their only Super Bowl win. He joined Dallas in 2021 and immediately made the Cowboys defense perhaps the league’s best playmaking unit.

But after being spurned by the Broncos last January, would he be amenable to trying again? Quinn is also likely to have multiple suitors.

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FRANK REICH, EX-INDIANAPOLIS HEAD COACH

If you want a coach to try to fix Russell Wilson, Reich could be it. In Indianapolis, he had three winning seasons and two playoff appearances in his four full seasons despite circumstances forcing changes at quarterback every season. Fired last month, Reich had five different Week 1 quarterbacks in five seasons. It wasn’t supposed to be that way, of course. When Reich took the job, Indianapolis had Andrew Luck. But he shocked the football world by retiring in 2019, his career waylaid by injuries that became too much to bear.

The frantic Colts front office cycled through Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan after that. But Reich still left with a winning record — and he was above .500 without Luck, going 30-27-1 in the three-and-a-half seasons after Luck walked away. And until Ryan, his quarterbacks generally improved their form and efficiency under his watch.

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DeMECO RYANS, SAN FRANCISCO DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

As with Frazier, you’re looking for programs and philosophies that breed successful tenures. The last two assistant coaches to leave the 49ers — Robert Saleh and Mike McDaniel — had success, although the Dolphins are fading late under McDaniel and may fail to match the 9-8 season they had last year. But Saleh has shaped up the Jets despite Zach Wilson’s struggles. Ryans succeeded Saleh as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator and took their defense to the next level. The question on Ryans is the same as it is for the other defensive coaches on this list: Who will run the offense and attempt to fix Russell Wilson?

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SHANE STEICHEN, PHILADELPHIA OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Philadelphia has a top-3 scoring offense and a top-3 total offense. Jalen Hurts is a legitimate MVP candidate. And the offense kept on humming with backup Gardner Minshew at the controls, although it had a season-high-matching four turnovers last Saturday and now has 7 giveaways in 2 weeks. Still, this appears to be an aberration for Steichen’s multi-faceted attack; the Eagles had just 10 giveaways in their first 13 games.

Although Wilson’s dual-threat abilities don’t match those of the younger Hurts, there are concepts that could translate to Wilson — if the Broncos’ veteran QB buys in.

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OTHERS WHO COULD BE IN THE MIX