Once change hit the Mile High City in the form of Mike Shanahan being replaced, the winds carried a curiosity of how the franchise would now be run.  Five full months later we now a number of questions answered about the staff and the philosophies that will carry this team into the immediate future.

The following is a short profile overview of the Denver Broncos coaching staff and what each coach brings to the order of making the Broncos a better football team.

 

Head Coach

Josh McDaniels arrived in Denver bright-eyed and eager, and was quickly brought down by the Jay Cutler debacle. Josh was brought to Denver for his specific work and knowledge of working inside the New England Patriots organization.

McDaniels is the 12th coach in franchise history, all at 33 years of age. McDaniels won three World Championships and four AFC Championships with the Patriots. Josh was the coordinator that led the New England Patriots to their undefeated regular season in 2007. That group set a number of scoring records along the way. 

The primary criticisms of McDaniels as the new head coach would be his age, only being a coordinator for three years in New England, never being a head coach, his handling of the Jay Cutler situation, and his handling of the 2009 draft for the Broncos.

While Coach McDaniels has had to face the critics, cynics, and doubters early in his tenure in Denver, he does have a talented team. How well this team competes will very well dictate his future not only with the Denver Broncos but also in the NFL. Fortunately for Coach McDaniels, he does have some solid coaches in some key positions.

 

Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach

Mike McCoy comes to the Broncos from the Carolina Panthers where he spent nine years focusing on their passing game and coordinating. McCoy is 37-years-old and previously competed as a backup with the Broncos in the 1995 training camp.

His prior experience in Denver under Mike Shanahan and various experiences since could provide a good insight and balance to how Josh handles the offensive side of the ball. In essence, Mike could become just the coach Josh will need to help him and the franchise get over the hump this season.

 

Defensive Coordinator

Mike Nolan is no stranger to Denver either. He comes back to Denver by way of the San Francisco 49ers where he was the head coach between 2005-2008.  Mike was previously with the Broncos from 1987-1992 as a special teams and linebackers coach for Dan Reeves. What Mike brings to the table is experience (28 years in the NFL) on multiple levels of the NFL. He will also be a much needed mentor to Josh McDaniels and the staff.

 

Special Teams Coordinator

Mike Priefer has coached seven seasons in the NFL as an ST Coordinator. He comes to Denver from Kansas City where he spent three years in that position.  Mike previously coach for Jacksonville and the New York Giants. Mike fills one of the most vital roles in Denver this season.

In the past special teams was an afterthought for the Broncos franchise; Mike’s presence is solid and he brings a much needed voice in this phase of the game. Broncos fans should expect to have much better execution in this phase of the game.

 

Tight Ends Coach

Clancy Barone comes to Denver from San Diego where he spent the last four seasons with the Chargers. He has also coached in Atlanta as an assistant offensive line coach and has 17 years of collegiate experience. He has previously coached Pro Bowl Tight Ends Alge Crumpler and Antonio Gates. Clancy inherits one of the deepest talent pools on the Broncos. He should have immediate impact on the tight ends in blocking and receiving. Look for this group to play a vital role in the overall success of the Broncos offense.

 

Special Teams Assistant

Keith Burns starts his third year in the NFL as a coach. If ever there was a special teams player (or coach for that matter) who had the heart of a city behind him, it would be Keith Burns. His spirit as a player was positively infectious, similar to what Brian Dawkins brings to the Broncos now.

It’s hard to imagine Keith ever played anywhere else but Denver; he did, however, have stints in Chicago and Tampa. If his coaching career goes as well as his playing career, Keith is on track to become one of the best special teams coaches with an eye on the future. Burns brings the understanding of spirit and team, something essential to play in the NFL at a high level.

 

Offensive Line Coach

Rick Dennison returns to Denver after being in the running for the head coach position prior to Coach McDaniels hire.  This will be his 15th season as a coach for the Broncos. Coach Dennison was an understudy to Alex Gibbs when the Broncos won back to back Super Bowls behind the offensive line that put Terrell Davis over two thousand yards.

Last season’s offensive line allowed only 11 sacks, in part due to Jay Cutler’s mobility. However, the play of the O-Line was one of the only bright spots during a season that fell short. How well this group helps the Broncos execute a balanced game plan will set the tone for every game this season. Dennison has an incredibly important job on this team.

Despite not being selected as the Broncos head coach (for now) don’t under estimate how vital his role is to the squad this season. The Broncos must run more affectively than they did last year with the O-Line reaching the second and third level consistently. This will complement their already stellar pass protection from last season.

 

Secondary Coach

Ed Donatell has had two stints with the Broncos and the New York Jets and has also coached in Green Bay and Atlanta. Donatell comes back to the Broncos from the University of Washington where he was the defensive coordinator in 2008. On the defensive side of the ball, Donatell will have the vital role of bringing this entirely new unit together. 

Part of his focus will have to be tight coverage and tackling, both areas that became lax the last few seasons.  He is benefitted in having Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey in the same defensive backfield; moreover through free agency and the draft the Broncos have brought skill and speed to this position.

 

Wide Receivers Coach

Adam Gase is going into his fifth year in the NFL as a coach. He is young, which comes with inherent pluses and minuses. He’s not as experienced as Steve Watson who previously held the position and who played for the Broncos organization during the 1980’s. If something is going to buckle for the worse due to coaching, it may come at the wide receiver position. The counter to that is the talent level the Broncos currently carry at the position.

So, it is hard to get a clear read on this position. Adam will presumably gel well with Coach McDaniels and Mike McCoy who form a youthful nucleus of driven intellects on the offensive side of the ball. The thing this position loses is a more seasoned coach and respected member of the community.

 

Linebackers Coach

Don Martindale comes to the Broncos from the Oakland Raiders where he coached their linebackers for five seasons. Martindale inherits a talented pool of linebacker talent.

He is a serviceable coach who can help the Broncos goal of tightening up the defensive side of the ball through speed and technique in the 3-4. With the log jam of talent at this position, the challenge is to find the right guys to be in the right positions. The overall chemistry of this unit will probably have a significant impact on the outcome of Denver’s 2009 season.

 

Offensive Assistant

Ben McDaniels comes to Denver from the high school ranks. He is the younger brother of Josh McDaniels. Coaches in these types of positions generally work hard to learn the ropes while spending hours assisting the needs of other coaches. Positions like these are where Josh McDaniels got his start.

While there shouldn’t be any real expectation out of this coaching position on the field, there is something worthy of note here. Understandably, Josh hired his brother to come on board to help reinforce the team culture. What should be the more important point here is that a high school coach has made the leap into the NFL. Some might see this as a bad thing—they shouldn’t.

High School coaches are by and large more than capable of succeeding in the NFL. Kudos goes out to Josh for giving his brother Ben an opportunity to gain valuable experience in the NFL. There should be more coaches and organizations more supportive of this concept.

 

Defensive Line Coach

Wayne Nunnely is the man with the tallest task next to Josh McDaniels in Dove Valley. What’s impressive is that Nunnely appears to be just the guy to be up to the task. Wayne has one of the more impressive resumes not only on the Broncos staff but in the NFL. He most recently spent 12 seasons in San Diego building up the defensive line to where it is one of the most revered units in pro football.

Nunnely is a master tactician who also was a head coach at UNLV. He could be the right instructor for guys like Tim Crowder, Jarvis Moss, and Marcus Thomas needed to get their careers on track this season. The success of this group gives the Broncos an opportunity to win games. Look for the Broncos to become more technically sound up front and see if that helps them to be more competitive this season.

 

Assistant Linebackers Coach

Roman Phifer won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and comes to Denver as part of Coach McDaniels reinforcement of the new culture. This is Phifer’s first season as a coach in the NFL and should bring a wealth of experience to players that need relationships with former players who can understand life in the NFL.

As a player Phifer also saw time with the Jets and was originally selected by the Los Angeles Rams. He could prove to be a valued asset to the staff over time.

 

Defensive Assistant Coach

Jay Rodgers comes to the NFL from the collegiate ranks where he worked primarily on passing offense and game coordination. Rodgers could be valued for his understanding of the spread offense.

 

Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach

Greg Saporta enters his 15th season at this position for the Denver Broncos. In conjunction with Rich Tuten, they run the year round program for the team.  What should be recognized is that they are some of the very best anywhere at what they do, the very best of the best.

 

Running Backs Coach

Bobby Turner also enters his 15th season in Denver as the running backs coach. His name is synonymous with success in the NFL as he has consistently helped the Broncos to get the most out of each athlete. Everyone knows about the work Bobby put in with the Terrell Davis his most notable subject.

What’s interesting is that Bobby has another talented Georgia running back in his midst in Knowshon Moreno. Look for Bobby to help him adapt to the professional game quickly.

Bobby is truly the best of the best and the Broncos are fortunate to have retained his services. He has a full plate however in trying to make the Broncos run game more physical.

 

Strength and Conditioning Coach

Rich Tuten also enters his 15th season as the Broncos head strength and conditioning coach. He is known for working with players to help them develop and recognize strengths and weaknesses. Rich has worked hard to stay on top of the needs of the athletes he serves. This led him to develop a wooden sled that players like former Bronco Rod Smith swear by because of the workout it gives.

Coach Tuten is also mindful of each individual and their needs to be competitive. Coach Tuten is as good as it gets in this area. His challenge this season is to help the Broncos to build the solid foundation they need this season in to the future with regards to the training regiment.

 

On the whole, this Broncos coaching staff has a good balance of youth and experience. New philosophies balanced with the tradition of the Broncos. This team will be interesting not only in it’s makeup but how it responds to the coaching. There are some highly skilled coaches on this staff and they all probably have something to prove much in the way the franchise does this coming season.

 

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