Ex-Broncos coach Vance Joseph at ease with being defensive coordinator, seeks to follow Wade Phillips' path with Super Bowl win

Jun. 14—Shortly after being hired in February as the Broncos' defensive coordinator, Vance Joseph reached out to Wade Phillips. And why not?

Phillips was Denver's head coach from 1993-94 before being fired but he later returned to the team as defensive coordinator from 2015-16. Joseph was the Broncos' head coach from 2017-18 before being ousted but just four years later is back.

"I did about a week after I signed back," Joseph said Wednesday after the second day of a three-day minicamp on reaching out to Phillips. "He reminded me that he was the coach and he was let go and he came back as a coordinator and he won a championship. So that was his message to me, so hopefully I can follow his trail."

Phillips went 16-16 in his two Denver seasons as coach before being dismissed. But the Broncos won Super Bowl 50 in February 2016 in his first season back as defensive coordinator.

"He's obviously a friend of mine and I think very highly of him as a coach, so I was glad the Broncos got him because he's going to do an outstanding job," Phillips, head coach of the XFL's Houston Roughnecks, said in a phone interview. "Hopefully, as good as we did."

Joseph went 11-21 in his two seasons on the job. He insisted Wednesday it has not been awkward having his new role under first-year coach Sean Payton.

"It was a fair process," Joseph, in his first public comments since being hired, said of his departure. "This is a league of winning, so when you don't win, there is going to be change. It was never personal for me. I came here and worked my butt off, but it didn't work. I'm back now, and that's my focus, playing great defense for Sean and win games."

Joseph's first year as head coach started the current stretch of six straight losing seasons by the Broncos, and they have missed out on the playoffs for seven years in a row. Joseph was succeeded by Vic Fangio, who lasted three seasons, and Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired with two games remaining in his one season of 2022. Now, Payton is in charge.

"I don't even think about it," Payton said of Joseph having a recent Denver head-coaching stint. "I think through the interview process and visiting with him, it wasn't something that I looked upon either way. He didn't either."

Payton said he looks simply to bring in the best staff possible.

"I think (Joseph is an) extremely good communicator, and I think he's an extremely good leader (and) there's that calmness with him," Payton said.

After being let go by the Broncos, Joseph spent the past three seasons as Arizona's defensive coordinator before head coach Kliff Kingsbury was fired and replaced by Jonathan Gannon. Joseph also interviewed after last season to be Gannon's replacement as Philadelphia's defensive coordinator.

"I had some choices after leaving Arizona, but Denver is home," said Joseph, 50, once a University of Colorado defensive back. "This is a great place with a great fan base. We have a home still here. ... Outside of working with Sean, it was the perfect spot for me."

Asked if he now doesn't have as good of a parking spot, Joseph joked, "It's open parking, so I can park anywhere I want. It's a better spot."

Denver players remaining from when Joseph was head coach are safety Justin Simmons, linebacker Josey Jewell, tackle Garett Bolles and wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick. Joseph said they basically said upon his return, "Welcome back. It's good to see you. Let's win some football games."

Phillips didn't win enough games as Denver's head coach but sure helped the Broncos as defensive coordinator in 2015 when they were No. 1 in the NFL in total defense en route to winning the Super Bowl under Gary Kubiak. Phillips said it's different that he returned to the Broncos two decades after being their head coach but he expects Joseph to do just fine. Joseph was the defensive backs coach when Phillips was defensive coordinator with the Houston Texans from 2011-13.

"Mine was 20-some years later, but the players will still look to their coach and see what he has to give them, and if he gives them what they need, then they're going to do well," Phillips said. "He's a really good coach. He's a complete coach."

Phillips, who turns 76 next Wednesday, said he will return in 2024 for a second straight season with the Roughnecks. With it being his offseason, Phillips plans to attend Denver's training camp this summer and get a firsthand look at Joseph.