BSN Exclusive: T.C. McCartney sheds light on what the Broncos are getting in Rich Scangarello

(Author’s note: This interview took place before the Broncos hired T.C. McCartney as their new quarterbacks coach)

Mobile, Ala. — If there’s one thing that’s become very clear when it comes to new Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello, it’s that San Francisco is not happy about the fact that he’s now in Orange & Blue.

The first indication, of course, was the 49ers’ initial decision to deny the Broncos permission to interview Scangarello.

Later, after the Broncos finally secured that permission and made the hire, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan told BSN Denver, “It was tough for me to let him go because I know how much I put into him.” Later adding, “They got a helluva coach.”

On the final day of practice at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, BSN Denver caught up with two more members of the San Francisco staff, one of which is now a member of the Broncos’ staff, and the message remained the same.

“Rich is awesome. He did a great job for us. I love Rich,” said offensive assistant and Boulder native T.C. McCartney, who has since been named the quarterbacks coach of the Broncos. “Big loss for [San Francisco], big gain for [Denver]. “He’s got a really good demeanor coaching quarterbacks. If you ask anybody in the quarterback room, they loved him.”

“It’s always hard when you lose a good coach like that,” added Taylor Embree, another Colorado native on the Niners’ offensive staff. “He is really diverse. He did a lot. He was a run drawer, he knows the run game, the pass game, protections and he’s an extremely hard worker.”

Both Embree, who serves as an offensive quality control coach currently, and McCartney come from coaching backgrounds, with Embree being the son of former University of Colorado head coach and current 49ers tight ends coach, Jon Embree, and McCartney being the son of legendary University of Colorado head coach, Bill McCartney. And both are considered true up-and-comers in the coaching business, garnering rave reviews from Senior Bowl players as Shanahan gave each of them more responsibility throughout the week in Alabama.

When you look at Shanahan’s body of work on paper in San Francisco so far, you wouldn’t be blown away by the wins. In fact, the runner-up in the Broncos coaching search back in 2016 had fewer wins over his first two seasons (10) than Vance Joseph had in his two years with the Broncos (11). With that said, though, Shanahan is still revered in coaching circles and has very little pressure on him in the Bay Area.

The main reason for that—beyond the leash he gets because of injuries—is the work he has done with the offense, and more specifically the quarterbacks. Over the last two seasons, Shanahan has been able to get solid production out of names like C.J. Beathard and, more impressively, undrafted product Nick Mullens. But as we’ve come to learn, Scangarello had a real impact on that, as well.

“Oh a lot,” McCartney said of the credit he deserves. “I mean, he worked with every individual, he’s in there working. He was critical in their development. I think all of them would tell you that, too.”

“It was special to see someone like Nick Mullens go undrafted and come in and get on the field,” Embree added. “What he put out there shows what Rich is capable of building.”

Now, it’s the 29-year old McCartney, along with Scagarello, who will be entrusted with the development of Denver’s quarterbacks, and that’s good news for Broncos fans.