Now that the Denver Broncos and Vic Fangio have officially parted ways, this leaves an opening at head coach for the team, and the Mile High City will definitely have their fair share of suitors in the coming weeks. As the Broncos look to progress into a playoff contender in 2022, they’ll need to bring on the right coach for the job.

Someone with a gritty, can-do attitude who will also build a winning culture is of utter importance to the Broncos. At this juncture, the Broncos need to turn the tide after having a rough go of it over the past few seasons. With all this in the fold for Denver, we’ll now discuss the four best candidates to replace Vic Fangio as their next head coach.

Broncos coach candidates

Jim Harbaugh 

As an experienced head coach who’s seen a ton of success in his stints with the San Francisco 49ers and the Michigan Wolverines, Jim Harbaugh would be a great fit on the Denver sideline. His ability to work well with young talent and instill a winning mentality is why his teams have always seen so much success.

Even though he doesn’t have the hardware to show for it, Harbaugh’s effect on players and his coaching staff is contagious and he knows how to get the best out of his teams. If the Broncos are serious about winning and getting back into the top tier of the NFL, then there’s few coaches who are more qualified to get them there than Harbaugh.

Doug Pederson

Despite the fact that he was let go by the Philadelphia Eagles after just four seasons with the team, it’s hard to overlook the fact that he also led them to a Super Bowl in his first year with the team. Things may have ended on a low for him in the City of Brotherly Love, but that’s not to say that he couldn’t thrive in the Mile High City and turn this young Broncos squad into a legitimate postseason threat.

His ability to improvise and make the necessary adjustments is exactly what led to the Eagles their upset victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52. With credentials like this, it’s hard to imagine that Denver will overlook Pederson’s candidacy for their current head coaching vacancy.

Byron Leftwich

He’s had a highly successful run as the offensive coordinator for Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the past couple seasons and with the addition of a Super Bowl ring, Byron Leftwich has shown that he’s got the intangibles to excel as a head coach in this league. With the youth, athleticism, and tenacity that the Denver Broncos currently possess, there’s no doubt that Leftwich would be able to get the most out of this team and build a winning culture.

His innovative approach to the game is exactly what the Broncos need in a head coaching candidate, and under the direction of Leftwich the Broncos could become a serious challenger to the Chiefs for the AFC West crown. So as they continue to search for ways to get back to playing a winning brand of football, the Broncos should definitely keep Leftwich on their radar.

Pete Carroll 

With his time in Seattle possibly coming to an end, pursuing Pete Carroll is another strong possibility for the Broncos heading into the 2022 NFL offseason. Despite their recent woes, Carroll did lead the Seahawks to two Super Bowl runs, an NFL championship, and several deep playoff runs. When Carroll took over the reigns in Seattle, the Seahawks were a bottom tier lottery team with several holes in their roster.

After a few years of experimentation and player development, Carroll transformed the Seahawks into a title contender and they became the team-to-beat in the NFC. In Denver, Carroll would be more than capable of repeating this success while cementing his legacy as one of the greatest coaches in NFL history.