Just as he arrived with plenty of uncertainty and little coordinator experience, Denver Broncos (now former) head coach Vance Joseph is gone. In turn, a new search for his predecessor is on its way and a short list of candidates has already emerged.
Elway will be spearheading his fourth head coaching search in five years and is going at it without the help of a search firm. All indications are Denver’s GM knows what he’s looking for, and has put together an interesting list of candidates with a mix of young and old, and offensive and defensive coaches.
Here’s a look a who is on the radar.
Coaches with interviews scheduled
Vic Fangio, DC, Chicago Bears
HC experience: N/A — Record: N/A
Fangio has done a phenomenal job of developing youth while integrating veterans like Khalil Mack in the league’s best defense. In his previous stop with the San Francisco 49ers, he did a spectacular job as well and is widely considered to be one of the premier DC’s in the game, with over 20 years of experience in both the NFL and college ranks.
Fangio is 60, making him much older than most of the other hot coordinators in the game, but he’s certainly earned his shot to be a head coach.
While limited to the defensive side, his experience in several stops would give him ample connections to add an offensive coordinator from the Matt Nagy or Jim Harbaugh coaching trees.
The Broncos are expected to interview Fangio on Monday.
Biggest selling points
Fangio’s experience and defensive chops would fit nicely in a division where stopping the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers’ attacks should be the top priority. His work with Mack, and previously with the troubled Aldon Smith at the Niners, bodes well for the Broncos dynamic edge rushing duo of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb.
He’d also maintain continuity with the defensive scheme, running a 3-4, and could do wonders for the front seven as his teams have always played stout up front.
Considering his past success and the wealth of talent on the Broncos defense, Fangio should instantly turn the ‘D’ into a top-five unit.
Biggest concerns
Fangio’s biggest question mark is his offensive plan. His veteran savvy and respect around the league could make him a perfect fit if Gary Kubiak were to return to the sideline as an offensive coordinator, a combination that would certainly instill fear in the rest of the AFC West.
He could also go back to his time with the Niners and seek out Greg Roman’s help, who was the OC in the Bay while Fangio coached the defense.
Neither Kubiak nor Roman would be the type of innovative play callers that the Chicago Bears had in Matt Nagy, but they’d match Fangio’s defensive imprint, hard physical offenses with tough lines and run games that could control the clock.
Chuck Pagano, former HC, Indianapolis Colts
HC experience: Six years — Record: 53-43
Pagano is a classic re-tread with an appealing 53-43 record as a head coach, leading the Colts from the first overall draft pick to three consecutive 11-5 seasons, including a trip to the AFC championship in his third season. He only has one losing year on his resume, in his final season where quarterback Andrew Luck was out injured. He sports a 3-3 record in the playoffs, too.
Pagano is a renowned defensive mind with ample connections who’d be right at home with the Broncos defensive personnel up front and a strong background as a DB coach.
He wouldn’t be the sexiest hire but has a strong resume and Colorado connections having grown up in Boulder.
The Broncos are set to interview Pagano on Wednesday.
Biggest selling points
Pagano’s no-nonsense approach and rebuilding experience make him particularly intriguing in Denver, where the Broncos seem much closer to turning things around than the Colts did back in 2012.
His defensive acumen and 3-4 defensive scheme would fit nicely in the Mile High City, where he could turn things around for the back seven after a rough season.
He’s well-liked and seen as a good guy around the league who can relate to his players and rally the troops. His previous experience is a big plus as he’s already familiar with working alongside a GM with the final say on personnel decisions.
Biggest concerns
Like Fangio, Pagano’s main concern is his offensive plan, where the wheels fell off a bit once Bruce Arians left Indianapolis in his last stint as a HC.
If he could bring Arians in again, that be a huge get, as would his ability to work with Kubiak.
He’s also had Rob Chudzinski work as his OC in the past who, with his previous work developing Cam Newton, has a proven track record of developing and adapting to unconventional young QBs who come from the college spread.
Zac Taylor, QBC, Los Angeles Rams
HC experience: N/A — Record: N/A
Only 35 years old, Taylor is the youngest coach on this list and has ascended rapidly through the coaching ranks with experience as an OC and ample time as a QB coach, while also coaching receivers.
For any team trying to find the next Sean McVay, Taylor should be right at the top of the list and was already considered a hot young coach prior to joining McVay’s staff in LA. So while it’s a big unknown what he’ll be as a head coach, his resume goes far beyond working with the Rams.
The Broncos are set to interview Taylor in California on Thursday.
Biggest selling points
Taylor’s upside as a head coach makes him very appealing as he could be the next big thing in coaching and he’d bring that McVay playbook with him, about as appealing a “quality” as any candidate can have.
His work with QBs is his greatest selling point, as Ryan Tannehill had his best years under Taylor, and Jared Goff blossomed under he and McVay’s tutelage. His prior experience as an offensive play caller is also a big plus, and he should’ve learned quite a bit while in Southern California as far as keeping balance on offense.
Pairing Taylor with a quarterback of the future could be a winning combination for many years to come.
He’d be a swing for the fences.
Biggest concerns
The Biggest concern with Taylor is his limited success without McVay, where, as an OC with the Miami Dolphins and the University of Cincinnati, his offenses weren’t stellar. Has he learned enough in the past two seasons under McVay, despite not calling the plays, to improve?
At such a young age, Taylor would need a plan in place and would have to work his connections from his previous three NFL stops to find the right fit as his DC, which shouldn’t be too hard given the talent Denver has on that side of the ball. A set up similar to the Rams staff with a young offensive mind running the show and a veteran DC to aid him would be ideal.
Brian Flores, DC, New England Patriots
HC experience: N/A — Record: N/A
Flores is an up-and-coming coordinator, who has spent his entire coaching career with the Patriots and, like Joseph back in 2016, only has one year of experience as a coordinator.
He was one of the first candidates Denver reached out to get permission to interview and has already received interest from at least two other teams.
Flores has led the Patriots defense to be a top-10 scoring unit, allowing a paltry 20 points per contest—seventh best in the NFL—despite a less-than-stellar roster. He has experience coaching DBs and special teams, as well, moving up the ranks every step of the way, and seems ready for the next step at 37—nine years younger than Joseph.
Flores could be the defensive equivalent of Sean McVay, an up and coming coach who’s been hidden behind a known commodity. Or he could be riding Bill Belichick coattails and be a bit overrated, time will tell.
He is set to interview with the Broncos on Monday.
Biggest selling points
Flores, like Taylor, has considerable upside as a head coach and could be the next big thing. He coaches a 3-4 defense and would be able to keep Denver’s current scheme in place, a common theme for all the defensive coaches on this list.
His work with defensive backs would be just what the doctor ordered for the Broncos defense, and he’s shown he doesn’t need elite cover corners to make his scheme work.
Anyone from the Belichick coaching tree has plenty of appeal. He’d bring a no-nonsense, demanding coaching style and is a Brooklyn, NY native with three rings. He’d command respect despite his age and relative inexperience.
Biggest concerns
There are a lot of unknowns with Flores, who’s always had the advantage of being under one of the greatest coaches in NFL history and a defensive savant. What he does on his own is a big question mark.
Having only coached with the Patriots, he has limited connections given that all the best assistants and coordinators he’s worked with in Boston have gone on to do bigger and better things.
Defensive coordinator, Dean Pees, is the only one who doesn’t fit that bill and has done a terrific job in Tennessee this year, could Flores convince him to leave to start a new chapter in Denver? Would Kubiak be willing to work with him as his OC? Those are the big questions surrounding him, but there’s certainly a lot to like.
Mike Munchak, OLC, Pittsburgh Steelers:
HC experience: Three years — Record: 22-26
Munchak has experience as a head coach with the Tennessee Titans, with only one winning season in his first year.
He’s a Hall-of-Fame guard and a former top-10 draft pick who played his entire career with the Houston Oilers, and is renowned as an elite O-Line coach, a big plus for the Broncos who must fix the offense in the trenches.
He’d be a CEO type coach who doesn’t have play calling or coordinator experience and hasn’t been a head coach since 2013.
He is expected to interview for the job on Friday.
Biggest selling points
Munchak’s playing resume and gold-jacket pedigree would command respect in the locker room, where he’d be a huge asset to the offensive staff up front.
His previous head coaching experience is nice, too, though, at 58 years of age he’d have to demonstrate he’s learned from his mistakes and ready to modernize on both sides of the ball.
Biggest concerns
The lack of play calling experience is concerning, as is his relative lack of connections—Munchack’s only known the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans organization for most of his career until moving to Pittsburgh in 2014.
He’d need a strong staff around him and could be someone who’d fit nicely with Kubiak as his OC. Despite the respect he’s garnered around the league for his work on the OL, and ample coaching experience, he doesn’t seem to have tons of intriguing connections or schematic brilliance.
Stay tuned to BSN Denver for wall-to-wall coverage of the search.
