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Woody Paige: Broncos coaching candidates' staffs have 'all-star' potential

woody paige, the gazette (colorado springs, colo.)
·4 min read
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Jan. 12—When Sean Payton returns to coaching, possibly with the Broncos, he intends to hire an all-star staff already recruited. His most prominent adversary for the Denver job, Jim Harbaugh, could reunite the Stanford Band.

But not the Stanford band that ran wild onto the field on the final play of the 1982 Big Game with Cal and prevented John Elway and the Cardinal from playing in a bowl.

In 2010 Stanford, with head coach Harbaugh, finished 12-1 and as Orange Bowl champions. The team's coordinators were David Shaw and Vic Fangio, and Pep Hamilton was quarterback coach, Tim Drevno offensive line coach and Derek Mason defensive backs coach. Shaw would succeed Harbaugh and serve as Cardinal head coach for 12 seasons; Hamilton, who coached Andrew Luck, was the Texans offensive coordinator this season; Drevno would become the 49ers offensive line coach, then Michigan offensive coordinator, and Mason was Vanderbilt coach for seven seasons.

When Harbaugh departed Stanford the next year for the 49ers, his assistants included Fangio, Drevno, Geep Chryst (later a Broncos tight end coach), Ed Donatell (Vikings defensive coordinator after two stints with Broncos), Jim Leavitt (ex-CU defensive coordinator), Ejiro Evero (Broncos defensive coordinator), John Morton (Lions senior assistant), Peter Hansen (Broncos linebackers coach), Greg Jackson (Texans defensive backs coach), Greg Roman (Ravens offensive coordinator) and Mike Solari (who has been an offensive line coach or offensive coordinator with five NFL teams).

Harbaugh, who will turn 60 next December (the same month Payton will be 60), has a wealth of coaching talent he has been involved with to draw from for the Broncos. And his son Jay is the special teams coordinator with the Wolverines after spending time on the Ravens' staff with his uncle John.

The three most successful Harbaugh quarterbacks — Luck, Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick — won't be joining him in Denver, though.

A return of Fangio under Harbaugh would be bizarre, and Evero, who was mentored by Harbaugh as a young coach, certainly could return as coordinator if he doesn't become a head coach. Shaw, Hamilton or Jim Caldwell may become the offensive coordinator with Harbaugh, and Rams special team coordinator Joe DeCamillis would return to Denver in the same role.

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Evero also will interview with the Colts and the Texans, who also have asked for permission to talk to Payton, who officially will interview with the Broncos' Greg Penner, George Paton and Condoleezza Rice Tuesday in Los Angeles. Then the three will meet with Raheem Morris.

Oddly, Sean would be third Broncos-associated Payton-Peyton-Paton.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter Payton already has picked his "all-star" staff, a description that sounds like Ringo Starr's All-Starr touring band. The only name mentioned, though, was Fangio, who quietly has been a defensive consultant for the Eagles this season. Although Payton will control the offense and call plays, he likely would hire Doug Marrone, his former offensive coordinator with the Saints and a head coach with the Bills and the Jaguars.

Payton has reemphasized publicly his belief in the triangle of NFL importance: Owner, general manager and head coach. The Broncos would be first in ownership with the Walton-Penner family, but the Cardinals, with a terrible owner in Michael Bidwill and no general manager now, would give Payton the opportunity to select his own GM. The Texans don't have a quality quarterback, but their second overall draft pick will be a QB.

The Broncos' third finalist for head coach, who they also will interview next week, was the third pick last January. Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who had two stints as an assistant with the Seahawks, has the closest relationship with Russell Wilson. He could name Darrell Bevell as offensive coordinator. Bevell, the Dolphins quarterback coach and twice previously an interim coach, was Wilson's offensive coordinator in Seattle from 2011-2017, and Wilson recommended him for the same position with the Jaguars last season.

In the process before Quinn was expected to bring in Joe Whitt Jr. as defensive coordinator. Whitt coached under Quinn with the Falcons and with him in Dallas as secondary coach the past two seasons. If Raheem Morris isn't hired as a head coach, he would be Quinn's first choice as assistant head coach.

And the new head coach also must rehire Mike Munchak, who still lives in Denver, and Jerry Rosburg, Bill Kollar and Reggie Herring.