ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Mike Munchak, long considered one of the NFL's best offensive line coaches, is unlikely to return with the Denver Broncos in 2022, sources tell 9NEWS.
The issue apparently is new head coach Nathaniel Hackett is going to run the traditional West Coast, zone-blocking scheme while Munchak's specialty is with the gap, or man-on-man, blocking schemes.
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There is a chance Munchak returns to the Broncos in a different role as he has one more year left on his contract. He also has had offers from other teams since the Broncos' fired head coach Vic Fangio last month.
Munchak's offensive line assistant coach, Chris Kuper, has a chance to be promoted to the top job. Kuper was drafted as a zone-blocking guard by the Broncos in 2006 and started his coaching career in 2016 with the Miami Dolphins, where he worked alongside offensive line coach Chris Foerster.
Foerster is now the offensive line coach for Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers. Foerster's assistant in San Francisco, Butch Barry, is also expected to be interviewed for the Broncos' offensive line position, a source tells 9NEWS. Barry was a senior analyst who worked alongside Hackett in Green Bay during the 2020 season.
Hackett on Monday interviewed former Packers tight ends coach Justin Oetten for the Broncos' offensive coordinator position and former Vikings offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak for a top offensive coaching position.
Pat Shurmur, the Broncos' offensive coordinator the previous two seasons, has been informed he will not be retained, a source tells 9NEWS.
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