Broncos coaching search has no end in sight, as top candidates weigh other options
Jan. 28—There is no end in sight for the Broncos coaching search.
Sunday will mark 34 days since Denver fired Nathaniel Hackett on Dec. 26. And there have been an abundance of twists and turns during that time, which has left many questions and few answers about who will be the Broncos' next coach.
Led by owner and CEO Greg Penner, the Broncos started the search with eight candidates, with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and former Saints coach Sean Payton being the top candidates. But Harbaugh, who interviewed for the job before anyone else, announced he's staying at Michigan. And Payton's interview process has been a rollercoaster, with conflicting reports about how interested the Broncos really are in Payton, and vice versa. The Payton saga has been the biggest headache of the search, which has left some wondering if he's worth it.
After Harbaugh and Payton, 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans became Denver's target. At 38 years old, Ryans is considered one of the top assistants in the NFL and would be a home run hire by the Broncos, who were impressed by Ryans in his interview. But the Texans — where Ryans played six seasons and where he met his wife — are considered to be the favorites to land his services. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Ryans' "timeline simply does not work for the Denver Broncos. They would like to move maybe a little bit quicker. So they are looking elsewhere."
But what about Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn? He was considered to be Denver's safety net — the team's emergency backup plan if all else failed. Well, he informed the Cowboys he's returning to Dallas, after possibly seeing the writing on the wall that he wasn't going to get the job in Denver or possibly Arizona. Maybe he'll re-consider.
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Where the Broncos go now is unknown, with little valuable info being reported both locally and nationally. And if their timeline doesn't line up with Ryans, who can meet with the Texans as soon as Monday after the NFC Championship Game, does that mean a hire is coming soon? It doesn't appear so, as the Broncos haven't given any indication of who they might shift their focus toward.
From the outside, it might seem as though the Broncos are scrambling. Their top choices don't appear to still be in the race. But the Broncos have kept in contact with several other candidates, including Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, former Lions and Colts coach Jim Caldwell, former Stanford coach David Shaw and in-house candidate Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. Though, it seems clear none of them were ever considered top candidates, including Evero, who is finalist for the Colts and Texans jobs.
It would be unwise to totally rule out Harbaugh, Payton, Ryans and Quinn, as Denver hasn't given up on any of them just yet. They'll call each in hopes of convincing them to come to Denver next week. And there's a chance the Broncos widen their search, adding a couple new candidates. Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is one that would make sense, having interviewed for the job last year.
Whoever the Broncos end up with, whether they land their top choice or not, this search clearly hasn't gone to plan. A year ago Friday, the Broncos hired Hackett after an 18-day search. A year later, the Broncos are likely going to double that number in a search that's already over a month long.
But for Broncos Country, and the media covering it, this search has felt longer than that, considering it was preceded by one of the worst seasons in franchise history. And that's why the Broncos have to get this right, no matter how many days it takes to do so.
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