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Of the three current head coaching openings for 2023, the vacancy in Denver has become the most intriguing.
The Broncos have brand new ownership with unlimited financial resources. They have a loyal and dedicated fan base that is starving to end a record seven-year stretch of no playoff appearances since the last Super Bowl win.
It’s common for teams that have fired a coach to look for a replacement who is, in one or more ways, the exact opposite. For the Broncos, it becomes critical to avoid hiring a coordinator who has never been a head coach because of the dramatic differences between the two jobs — and the simple fact that it’s impossible to know whether a competent coordinator can be an effective head coach. Coach Biz. Landing in that job.
The Broncos certainly won’t want to roll the dice on another coordinator who has never been a head coach. They will likely look for candidates who have had success coaching at the NFL level.
Of course, Sean Payton is the current white whale on this list. But he will come with a demand to compensate the saints. If you put Payton and other current head coaches with other teams (such as Mike Tomlin), here is a list of potential head-coaching candidates who have shown they can coach at the pro level, and who are currently available for no compensation other than How very. Paychecks.
The list is alphabetical.
Jim Caldwell: Caldwell led the Colts to Super Bowl XLIV, and he had the chronically dysfunctional Lions moving in the right direction before being replaced by Matt Patricia.
Bill Cover: He last coached in 2006, a year after winning Super Bowl XL. After lingering on the fringes of returning for several years after that, he settled into his television role with CBS. It is believed that at this point he will never come back.
Tony Dungy: The Hall of Famer retired after the 2008 season, two years after winning Super Bowl XLI. Can the Wal-Mart moguls give him an offer he won’t refuse?
Jason Garrett: He coached America’s team for nine-plus seasons. He coexists with an owner so generous he made himself the GM his teams competed, making it to the playoffs three times.
Brian Flores: He would be an intriguing option. However, he has a pending lawsuit against several teams, including the Broncos. And the Broncos reacted strongly to his accusation that he received a fake interview from team representatives who were “out of sorts” and who appeared to be “drinking heavily” the night before. Although this was a different Denver regime, it may be difficult for new ownership to overlook it.
Jim Harbaugh: He won consistently and consistently in San Francisco, and he still wants another crack at the unfinished business of winning a Super Bowl. Plus, he competed against quarterback Russell Wilson during the first three years of his career. That could help Harbaugh understand how best to deploy Wilson now.
Gary Kubiak: He retired, but he retired when he became the Denver coach in 2015 – winning a Super Bowl in his first year on the job.
Marvin Lewis: Lewis took the Bengals to the playoffs seven times, despite the challenges inherent in leading a team that has a well-earned reputation for not wanting to spend excessive amounts of hard-earned cash. He has 16 years of NFL head coaching experience.
Dan Quinn: Quinn has the Falcons on the brink of victory in Super Bowl Lee. His Atlanta teams were consistently competitive.
Steve Wilkes: Wilks has limited head-coaching experience, but he’s the kind of tough, hard-nosed, old-school coach the Broncos could use. If the Panthers make the playoffs, Wilks will likely get a chance to stay in Carolina as the non-interim successor to Matt Rhule.
Mike Zimmer: He would definitely be the opposite of Nathaniel Hackett. He would bring an old-school, Parcells-style approach to the Broncos, and he wouldn’t coddle their franchise quarterback. Frankly, Russell Wilson at this point in his career might need a coach willing to coach around the highest paid player (by far) on the team.
