Broncos 2023 Head Coach Tracker: Sean Payton and Dan Quinn bookend Denver’s second week of interviews

The Broncos’ first week of interviews to find their next head coach is in the books. Up next, week two.

After knocking out four interviews in a three-day span days after the season ended, Greg Penner, George Paton and Condoleezza Rice are set with the exact same task this week.

From Tuesday to Friday, Denver’s search committee will conduct their final four first-round interviews before deciding their next step.

Here are the latest updates about where the head coaching search stands and what to know about all of the candidates.

You can find the initial developments on the head coaching search here.

Most recent updates

Friday, Jan. 20

• Greg Penner, Condoleezza Rice and George Paton have completed all eight of their first-round interviews. The team will narrow down their list and likely hold a second round of interviews next week in Denver.
• The Broncos completed their interview with Dan Quinn in the Dallas area.

Thursday, Jan. 19

• Denver interviewed 49ers’ defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans Thursday night in the Bay Area.
• Russell Wilson has reached out to Sean Payton, according to Colin Cowherd. “Russell Wilson has contacted Sean [Payton], legally, by the way, through channels. He wants Sean Payton. He needs fixing. He knows he needs fixing,” Cowherd said.
• After interviewing with the Broncos on Tuesday, Sean Payton was impressed with the team, according to Jeff Duncan. “I’ve talked to a lot of people close to Sean after he visited with Broncos management and ownership and he was really impressed with the thoroughness of their presentation, how very much competitive they want to be going forward,” Duncan added.

Wednesday, Jan. 18

• The Broncos will likely hold a second round of interviews next week where they will bring the final candidates to Denver.
  • While George Paton has been in the room for the first round of interviews, he will not be in the final round, according to Mike Klis. Instead, it will be Greg Penner, Carrie Walton-Penner and Rob Walton interviewing the final candidates with Paton being around for discussions after.

• Sean Payton’s interview on Tuesday with the Broncos went “well,” Jeff Duncan reported.
  • “Payton was particularly impressed with the Broncos group, who he met with for several hours,” Duncan added. “He likes majority owner Rob Walton and the management team he has assembled in Denver.”
  • Mike Klis added there is mutual interest with Payton and the Broncos following their two-hour interview on Tuesday.

Tuesday, Jan. 17

• Denver completed their first interviews with Sean Payton and Raheem Morris in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
• The Broncos have two remaining interviews this week. They will meet with San Francisco’s defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans on Thursday and Dallas’ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn on Friday.

Monday, Jan. 16

• Sean Payton has reportedly told associates he likes Denver’s stable ownership and would be willing to work with Russell Wilson.
• Jim Harbaugh informed the University of Michigan’s president Santa Ono that he will return to the school as their head coach. That will take Harbaugh out of the running to be Denver’s next head coach.
  • Harbaugh called Greg Penner Monday morning to inform him he was staying at Michigan and withdrawing from the running to be the Broncos’ next head coach.
• On a guest appearance on The Herd, Sean Payton said he believes a team that hires him as their next head coach will have to trade a mid-to-late first-round pick to the Saints for his services. Payton added he’s talked to Saints’ general manager Mickey Loomis recently. While Denver doesn’t have their own first-round pick, as it was traded to Seattle for Russell Wilson, they do have the 49ers pick, which will be a late first-round pick.
• Additionally, Payton said he has already talked to a few teams with head coach openings. The Saints’ former head coach will have his first interview with the Broncos on Tuesday, before meeting with the Texans and Panthers later in the week. The Cardinals have also received permission to interview Payton.
• In that same conversation, Payton said the two biggest factors in evaluating potential jobs are the ownership and quarterback situation, adding, “I think that element is critical, the ownership element.”

Saturday, Jan. 14

• The Broncos will interview DeMeco Ryans on Thursday and Dan Quinn on Friday.

Candidate list

Interviews scheduled

• Every first-round interview has been completed.

Completed interviews

• Jim Harbaugh
  • Harbaugh had his first interview with Denver virtually on Monday, Jan. 9.
  • On Monday, Jan. 16, a week after his interview with the Broncos, Harbaugh told Michigan he will return as their head coach in 2023.
• Ejiro Evero
  • Denver’s defensive coordinator was the first candidate to have an in-person interview with the team on Tuesday, Jan. 10.
• Jim Caldwell
  • Caldwell interviewed with the Broncos on Wednesday, Jan. 11.
• David Shaw
  • The former Stanford coach interviewed with the Broncos on Wednesday, Jan. 11.
• Sean Payton
  • The former Saints coach interviewed with the Broncos on Tuesday, Jan. 17.
• Raheem Morris
  • The Rams’ defensive coordinator interviewed with Denver on Tuesday, Jan. 17.
• DeMeco Ryans
  • The 49ers’ defensive coordinator had an in-person interview with the Broncos on Thursday, Jan. 17 in the Bay Area.
• Dan Quinn
  • Dallas’ defensive coordinator interviewed with the Broncos on Friday, Jan. 20 in the Dallas area.

Remaining candidates

• Sean Payton, former Saints head coach
• Ejiro Evero, Broncos’ defensive coordinator
• DeMeco Ryans, 49ers’ defensive coordinator
• Raheem Morris, Rams’ defensive coordinator
• Dan Quinn, Cowboys’ defensive coordinator
• Jim Caldwell, former Lions & Colts head coach
• David Shaw, former Stanford head coach

Candidates no longer in the running

• Jim Harbaugh, University of Michigan’s head coach