Lammey: Three coaching candidates the Broncos should consider

The Denver Broncos have waved goodbye to the Gary Kubiak era. On Monday, it was officially announced that Kubiak was stepping down as the head coach of the Broncos.

In a press conference Monday morning at the team’s headquarters, Kubiak fought through the tears to share his plans outside of football.

“I’m retiring from coaching. I’m getting out of coaching, but I have a lot to give. I’m going to find something else to do, and I’m going to wake up with that same passion and do that, just like I’ve coached for the last 20-something years,” Kubiak said. “It’s time for me to step away from the coaching field.”

It was an emotional day at the UCHealth Training Center, but once the tears cleared up it was time for the coaching search to begin.

General manager John Elway will lead the charge to find a new head coach for one of the most storied franchises in all of football.

Elway said Monday the search would begin as soon as possible.

“There are some quality candidates out there. We’ll get busy on that today and start working toward that, so hopefully we can get that,” Elway said. “Obviously, that’s a position that we want to fill as quickly as we can, but also want to go through the detailed process, which we will.”

If you check out our Sports Radio 104.3 The Fan head coach hot board, you’ll see a number of options for the Broncos to consider. Who could be the best among the available (and maybe not yet available) candidates? Let’s take a look.

Kyle Shanahan/Falcons offensive coordinator

The name says it all, especially in the Mile High City. Kyle Shanahan, the son of former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan, is likely to make the jump to head coach for the first time in his career. He’s been an offensive coordinator with four NFL teams (Houston Texans, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, and Atlanta Falcons) since 2008.

With one of the top-rated offenses in the league, the Falcons are poised to make a deep postseason run, and Shanahan is the main cog in its machine.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported Monday that the Broncos have requested permission to interview the Falcons offensive coordinator. At only 37 years old, Shanahan may be the most coveted potential coach available this year.

The Broncos may want to choose a younger head coach to help build a dynasty in Denver. They’ve gone through four head coaches since 2008 for various reasons. If they can find a young coach, this is the type of franchise someone could make a long-term home with.

However, team president and CEO Joe Ellis said age isn’t going to be the top priority.

“I don’t know that we’re looking at age. I don’t think John looks at it that way. He’ll speak to that a little bit more as the days evolve here. You just want the best guys in here that can manage his team and lead his team to the best of his ability and to the expectations that we all have here,” Ellis said.

“You have to understand what we’re all about as an organization. I don’t know if it’s young or old. I don’t think that really matters. If you have the qualities necessary to be the head coach here, you’ll get the job.”

Shanahan is likely to get plenty of offers, so the Broncos are going to have to stand out. The job opening in Denver may be the most coveted in all of football. The winning culture, coupled with a roster that is incredibly close to getting back to the Super Bowl makes the Broncos stand out on their own.

Vance Joseph/Dolphins defensive coordinator

I’ve always felt that Vance Joseph would one day make for a great head coach in the NFL. A first-year defensive coordinator with the Miami Dolphins, Joseph may be on the fast track to win one of the most coveted jobs in all of sports.

Joseph was the Broncos first choice for defensive coordinator back in 2015, but his then-employer the Cincinnati Bengals wouldn’t let him taking a meeting in Denver. Instead, the Broncos moved on to their second choice, Wade Phillips.

Joseph worked as Phillips defensive backs coach with the Houston Texans when Phillips was there as defensive coordinator.

If Joseph was hired as the Broncos new head coach, he would likely be inclined to keep Phillips on staff.

Phillips signed a two-year contract in 2015, and now his deal has officially expired. He’s free to go wherever he wants, but Phillips said he would like to stay in Denver if at all possible.

Keeping the defensive coaching staff in place is going to be largely up to the new head coach according to Elway.

“I think when you look at it and you look at what we have and the team that we have, I think it’s a job that a lot of guys would have and would be an excellent coaching staff, but that’s going to be up to the next coach,” Elway said. “I’m sure we will retain a lot of them. Hopefully, they’ll retain a lot of them. Obviously, we would like to keep as much continuity as we can, too. If we can keep as much of them together, we’ll try to do that.”

Joseph has often been compared to Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin in terms of personality and ability to motivate his players. The energy and leadership Joseph could bring to the Broncos could be a great benefit to the team that wants to be a dynasty.

Scott Linehan/Cowboys offensive coordinator

Over the last few days, Mark Schlereth has been promoting his former college teammate (and current Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator) Scott Linehan as the best option for the Broncos.

Stink is correct, there is a lot to like when looking closely at what Linehan has to offer.

Linehan has helped make Cowboys rookie quarterback Dak Prescott comfortable and confident running the show. At Mississippi State, Prescott played in a shotgun-heavy spread system similar to what Paxton Lynch played in during his college career at Memphis.

While Lynch has languished mostly on the bench this season, Prescott led the Cowboys to the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Any new head coach for the Broncos had better have a plan for developing the Broncos 2016 first-round pick.

Elway said Monday that he would like to find someone with a history of developing quarterbacks.

“ I think with the two young guys there is no question that it going to be a topic of conversation of, ‘OK, how do we get these two players better?’ For me, and having played the game, I know how important the relationship is to have with the quarterback. With the quarterback as well as have the players have a relationship with the coaches,” Elway said.

“The coaching staff is really, really important, as well as that head guy. The type of personality that head guy is going to have is also going to put that kind of staff together. I think we’ve talked about it so many times or I’ve said it is the fact is we draft players and we sign players, but we have to make them better when they get here. That’s why this coaching staff is so important and that’s why this search is going to be so important.”

For Lynch to be the franchise quarterback the team envisioned when they moved up in the first round last year, he needs to be properly developed and in a system that plays to his strengths.

Linehan could be the key to unlocking Lynch’s potential.