On December 26th, the Denver Broncos fired head coach Nathaniel Hackett. Hackett didn't survive his first full season with the Broncos and was fired after the team suffered a horrible beatdown to the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas Day. The bad loss was not only embarrassing but extremely disappointing, two words that have often been used to describe the team's 2022 season.
The Broncos had high expectations heading into 2022, as the team had traded for Russell Wilson in the offseason. Not only did Wilson have one of his worst seasons statistically, but the Broncos also fell short in virtually every category. Team ownership saw the writing on the wall and didn't see a positive future for Denver that involved Hackett.
Now the Broncos find themselves searching for their fifth head coach in eight seasons. With that, let's look at the best possible candidates the Broncos should consider for their head coaching vacancy.
3 Broncos Coaching Candidates To Replace Nathaniel Hackett
Sean Payton
Broncos ownership is definitely looking for a big, splashy hire. Hiring Sean Payton as head coach would definitely check that box. While Denver hiring Payton would be the best possible scenario, it also might be the hardest for the team to pull off.
Although he is retired, Payton is still under contract with the New Orleans Saints until 2024. Because the Saints still maintain his rights, this means that any team that wants to hire him will have to assemble a trade package for the Saints. The Broncos paid a hefty price to acquire Wilson and don't really have good enough trade capital to get Payton. This scenario wouldn't be impossible though, just a bit difficult.
Broncos need Sean Payton.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) December 26, 2022
Payton would be a great choice to help get the Broncos back on track and hopefully “fix” Wilson. However, Payton would still need to agree to come out of retirement to coach Denver. The situation is a bit of a mess right now and might not appeal to him. But money talks, and Broncos ownership would most likely have no problem shelling out the big bucks for Payton.
Jim Harbaugh
During his tenure as head coach in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers, Jim Harbaugh was able to coach the Niners to winning seasons, an NFC Championship, and Super Bowl XLVII. Harbaugh was even named AP NFL Coach of the Year in his first season with the team.
After an 8-8 season in 2014 and missing the playoffs, Harbaugh and the Niners parted ways.
Harbaugh would end up being hired as the head coach at the University of Michigan, a job he has held since 2015. Prior to Harbaugh's arrival, Michigan football was stuck in neutral and really needed someone to bring them back to greatness. Harbaugh has done just that. Since 2015, Harbaugh has coached Michigan to two Big Ten championships, three Big Ten East Division championships, and multiple bowl games.
According to @ProFootballTalk, #Broncos have reached out to Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh to let them know they are interested in talking to him. As said last night on Twitter and on air multiple times, I expect Penner to swing for fences, which includes Harbaugh #Denver7
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) January 2, 2023
Michigan unfortunately fell short in their national championship chase in 2022 when they lost to TCU in The Fiesta Bowl. While this is unfortunate for Michigan, the Broncos can officially start their pursuit of Harbaugh.
If Denver wants someone to come in and set a culture in the locker room, Harbaugh would be a great choice. Harbaugh has a history of winning, plus has some NFL head coaching experience (which the previous three Broncos head coaches have not had.) The Broncos should definitely heavily pursue Harbaugh.
Frank Reich
Hiring Frank Reich as the Broncos' head coach doesn't scream splashy, but that isn't a bad thing. Reich's .555 win percentage might not be appealing either, but he wasn't exactly set up for success with the Indianapolis Colts. He had to deal with a carousel of quarterbacks, and an owner and general manager who both had no clue what they were doing. Plus, very rarely was he set up with a superstar roster. If you compare the rosters between the Broncos and the Colts, Denver has the more appealing one.
While the Broncos do have the most appealing roster on paper, they now need a head coach to bring out the best in their players.
In the one year Reich was given a good roster and a stellar quarterback in Andrew Luck, he helped transform the Colts into a playoff team with a high-scoring offense. Since that year though, it's been downhill for Reich. Luck retired, and the Colts owner and GM continued to mess things up and not really help set him up for success.
Carson Wentz, who has struggled more in his career than he has succeeded, had his best seasons when coached by Reich. Reich was also able to get solid production out of Philip Rivers and Nick Foles. With Reich's ability to be a bit of a quarterback whisperer, could he help bring Wilson back to his former self?
Again, this isn't a splashy hire, but the Broncos should definitely consider Reich with his history of success on offense.
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