Broncos’ 2022 Coaching Staff Tracker: Nathaniel Hackett builds his first staff in Denver

Nathaniel Hackett’s off and running as the Denver Broncos’ head coach.

The 42-year old has a length to-do list—including, most importantly, upgrading the quarterback position—but his first order of business is to build his first-ever NFL staff.

Here is everything you need to know the staff Hackett is building in Denver.

Most recent updates

Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022

• The Broncos officially named Ejiro Evero as their defensive coordinator, Dwayne Stukes as their special teams coordinator and Marcus Dixon as their defensive line coach.

Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022

• The team officially announced they hired Tyrone Wheatley as their running backs coach.

Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022

• Officially hired Ola Adams as assistant defensive backs coach and John Vieira as instructional designer. Vieira will work with the Broncos’ coaching staff to enhance instructional methods in their presentations to players. He had a similar role in Green Bay, with Hackett, from 2020-2022. He has nearly 20 years of experience in education and technology.
• Hired Derek Haithcock as assistant to the head coach.

Monday, Feb. 14, 2022

• The Broncos officially hired inside linebacker coach Peter Hansen, outside linebacker coach Bert Watts, tight ends coach Jake Moreland, senior defensive assistant Dom Capers, assistant special teams coach Mike Mallory, assistant offensive line coach Ben Steele and offensive quality control coach Ramon Chinyoung.
• Bert Watts will become Denver’s next outside linebackers coach. Watts’ only year of NFL coaching experience was in 2012 when he was a defensive assistant on the Broncos. Denver’s new outside linebacker coach has spent the rest of his coaching career in college, most recently as Auburn’s OLB coach and assistant head coach.
• John Viera hired as special assistant to the head coach/instructional designer.
• Hiring Jake Moreland as tight ends coach. Moreland has one year of NFL coaching experience, but has coached tight ends in college for 12 years.

Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022

• Expected to hire Rams assistant defensive line coach Marcus Dixon to become Denver’s new defensive line coach. Dixon played in the NFL, but only has one year of NFL coaching experience as he takes Bill Kollar’s place on the staff. Kollar, on the other hand, had over 30 years of NFL coaching experience.

Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022

• The Broncos are expected to hire Tyrone Wheatley as their running backs coach. The former star running back coached with Hackett at Syracuse (2010-12), the Bills (2013-14) and the Jaguars (2017-18).

Friday, Feb. 11, 2022

• Dwayne Stukes is expected to be Denver’s next special teams coordinator. Stukes is the Rams assistant special teams coordinator and cannot officially be hired until after the Super Bowl. He was the Bucs special teams coordinator in 2011 and has been an assistant since.
• Team is set to hire Ola Adams as assistant secondary coach. Adams spent the past three seasons as Villanova’s defensive coordinator/secondary coach.
• Expected to hire Dom Capers as senior defensive assistant. Capers will provide experience for expected defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero as Capers has been a coordinator with four different teams. Capers will also be able to provide experience for first-time head coach Hackett as he has been a head coach twice.

Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022

• Ramon Chinyoung will be a quality control coach in Hackett’s staff.

Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022

• Ben Steele will be the Broncos’ assistant line coach, replacing Chris Kuper.
• Jon Embree is joining the Dolphins’ staff, not the Broncos, after interviewing with Denver on Monday.

Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022

• Mike Mallory will be hired as the assistant special teams coordinator. Mallory and Hackett were on the Jaguars staff in 2017 & 2018.
• Ben Steele will join Denver’s offensive staff. The Colorado Native was born in Denver, went to high school in Palisade and college at Mesa State before embarking on a seven-year career in the NFL. Steele has coached in the NFL the past nine seasons, most recently as the Vikings’ assistant offensive line coach.
• Nathaniel Hackett let go outside linebacker coach John Pagano.
• The Broncos are hiring Peter Hansen as their next linebacker coach. Hansen worked with Ejiro Evero, Denver’s presumptive next defensive coordinator, in San Francisco from 2011-13.

Monday, Feb. 7, 2022

• Curtis Modkins is expected to leave the Broncos to join the Vikings as their running back coach/run-game coordinator.
• Curtis Modkins is leaning toward joining the Vikings as their running back coach/run-game coordinator. Modkins joined the Broncos in 2018 and helped develop Philip Lindsay and Javonte Williams, while also guiding Melvin Gordon to an impressive two-year stretch.
• Receivers coach Zach Azzanni will be return in 2022. This will be the third head coach Azzanni has worked for in Denver since joining the team in 2018. He has helped develop Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy.
• Offensive assistant Justin Rascati will be retained.
• Special teams assistant Chris Gould was let go by the Broncos.
• Former Broncos special teams coordinator Tom McMahon is joining the Las Vegas Raiders as their special teams coordinator.

Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022

• The Broncos are planning to interview Jon Embree this week. The Colorado Native played football at Cherry Creek high school and the University of Colorado before transitioning into coaching. The past five seasons, Embree was the tight ends coach/assistant head coach with the 49ers.

Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022

• Nathaniel Hackett moved on from four coaches: tight end coach Wade Harman, assistant DL coach/assistant to the head coach Mike Hiestand, offense quality control coach Chris Cook and defensive pass game coordinator Chris Beake.

Friday, Feb. 4, 2022

• Assistant offensive line coach Chris Kuper will not return.
• Ed Donatell is joining the Seahawks staff and will officially not be back with the Broncos.
• Inside linebacker coach Reggie Herring will not be back with the team.

Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022

• Interviewed Panthers’ secondary coach/pass-game coordinator Jason Simmons for open defensive coordinator position.

Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022

• The Broncos hired Justin Outten as their offensive coordinator. Outten spent the past three seasons as Green Bay’s tight end coach under Hackett.
• Klint Kubiak is rejoining the Broncos’ offensive staff as their quarterback coach and pass game coordinator. Kubiak was previously with Denver from 2016-18 as an offensive assistant before joining the Vikings the past three seasons.
• The team hired Butch Barry as their offensive line coach. Barry was the assistant offensive line coach with the 49ers last year.
• Rams’ assistant special teams coach Dwayne Stukes is in the mix for Denver’s special teams coordinator job.
• Broncos are planning to hire Ejiro Evero as their defensive coordinator after the Super Bowl. Evero is the Rams’ secondary coach/pass game coordinator and is good friends with Hackett.

Monday, Jan. 31, 2022

• Nathaniel Hackett has his eye on Packers’ tight end coach Justin Outten to be the Broncos’ offensive coordinator.
• The Packers hired Adam Stenavich to be their offensive coordinator, not allowing Denver to hire him.
• Broncos are planning on interviewing Klint Kubiak for an offensive coaching role. Klint’s first year with the Broncos was with his father, Gary, in 2016. After Gary retired, Klint stayed on staff in the same role until 2018. He then followed Gary to Minnesota and was the Vikings’ offensive coordinator in 2021.

Friday, Jan. 28, 2022

• The Broncos will interview Chargers’ tight end coach Kevin Koger for their offensive coordinator position. Koger and Hackett were on the Packers’ offensive staff together in 2019 and 2020.
• Green Bay’s tight end coach Justin Outten is a name to watch to become Denver’s next offensive coordinator.
• The Packers won’t let their offensive line coach Adam Stenavich interview for the Broncos’ offensive coordinator job.

Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022

• The leading candidate to become the Broncos’ next defensive coordinator is Rams’ secondary coach/passing game coordinator Ejiro Evero.
  • Evero and Hackett played college football together at UC Davis and also coached together in 2007 on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Evero was one of Hackett’s groomsman at his wedding.
• The Broncos will request permission to speak with Packers’ offensive line coach/run game coordinator Adam Stenavich.
  • Hackett and Stenavich spent the past three years together in Green Bay.

Current staff

• Head Coach — Nathaniel Hackett
  • Assistant to the head coach — Derek Haithcock
  • Instructional designer — John Viera
• Offensive Coordinator — Justin Outten
• Defensive Coordinator — Ejiro Evero
• Special Teams Coordinator — Dwayne Stukes
  • Assistant Special Teams Coordinator — Mike Mallory

Offensive Staff

• Quarterbacks coach — Klint Kubiak
• Running backs coach — Tyrone Wheatley
• Wide receivers coach — Zach Azzanni
• Offensive line coach — Butch Barry
  • Assistant offensive line coach — Ben Steele
• Tight ends coach — Jake Moreland
• Offensive assistant — Justin Rascati
• Offensive quality control coach — Ramon Chinyoung

Defensive Staff

• Defensive line coach — Marcus Dixon
• Inside linebackers coach — Peter Hansen
• Outside linebackers coach — Bert Watts
• Defensive backs coach —  Christian Parker
  • Assistant secondary coach — Ola Adams
• Senior defensive assistant — Dom Capers