ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As a relatively young, first-time head coach himself, Nathaniel Hackett need not worry about getting buy-in from his assistants.
With the exception of Zach Azzanni (receivers) and Christian Parker (defensive backs), all the older, highly-experienced – and dare we say, more set in their ways? – top assistants from Vic Fangio’s coaching staff have been let go.
Hackett has replaced them with unformed, enthusiastic coaches he can mold. He has a system and a unique coaching style that he will instill in his assistant coaches, who in turn will coach up the players, who will ultimately make the whole operation go.
It’s similar to what Matt LaFleur did when he became head coach of the Green Bay Packers three years ago.
Three seasons of 13, 13 and 13 wins later, Hackett seems to be taking the LaFleur strategy of staff building to Denver.
There is some mix of experience on the Broncos’ new staff. Hackett is adding Dom Capers as a senior defensive advisor and keeping Bill Kollar as a consultant. The average age of those two is 70. Otherwise, this staff is largely filled with coaches who have more experience instructing college players than NFL athletes.
It’s so out-of-the-box, Hackett is even bringing in his old neurobiology classmate from the University of California-Davis, John Vieira, to serve as a coach to the coaches. Vieira held a similar role the previous two years in Green Bay.
Now if Hackett can get quarterback Aaron Rodgers to follow him to Denver, the Broncos will be set to contend in 2022.
Based on 9NEWS reporting, the Broncos’ new coaching staff is complete. There may be a defensive quality coach here, and assistant defensive line coach there. But otherwise, here is Hackett’s staff (with coaches they replaced in parenthesis):
HEAD COACH
- Nathaniel Hackett (Vic Fangio)
- Special Assistant to Head Coach/Instructional Designer: John Vieira
- Consultant: Bill Kollar*
*Coaches returning from Vic Fangio’s 2021 staff.
OFFENSE
- Coordinator: Justin Outten (Pat Shurmur)
- QB/Passing game coordinator: Klint Kubiak (Mike Shula)
- Offensive line: Butch Barry (Mike Munchak)
- WR: Zach Azzanni*
- RB: Tyrone Wheatley (Curtis Modkins)
- TE: Jake Moreland (Wade Harman)
- Assistant offensive line: Ben Steele (Chris Kuper)
- Quality control: Justin Rascati*
- Quality control: Ramon Chinyoung (Chris Cook)
*Coaches returning from Vic Fangio’s 2021 staff.
DEFENSE
- Coordinator: Ejiro Evero (Ed Donatell)
- Defensive backs: Christian Parker*
- Linebackers: Peter Hansen (Reggie Herring)
- Defensive line: Marcus Dixon (Bill Kollar)
- Outside linebackers: Bert Watts (John Pagano)
- Assistant defensive backs: Ola Adams (Chris Beake)
- Senior defensive consultant: Dom Capers
*Coaches returning from Vic Fangio’s 2021 staff.
SPECIAL TEAMS
- Coordinator: Dwayne Stukes (Tom McMahon)
- Assistant special teams: Mike Mallory (Chris Gould)
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