DENVER — New Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton's staff is starting to fill out after a wave of hirings became public Wednesday.
Before began Thursday, Payton responded to a tweet questioning the lack of hirings, promising they were on the horizon:
By Payton's count, 15 of what will end up being 21 coaching hires have been revealed to the public.
The notable trend so far is offensive hires have been primarily young coaches, while there have been more senior coaches hired to run the defense.
9NEWS Broncos Insider Mike Klis says the team still needs to hire an assistant defensive line coach, a second defensive backs coach and perhaps a defensive quality control coach to finish up the defensive staff.
The only notable absence on the offensive side of the ball is offensive coordinator (if Joe Lombardi is given a different title).
Vance Joseph - Defensive coordinator
The former Broncos head coach is back after an unsuccessful run that produced only 11 wins and 21 loses in 2017 and 2018 combined. Joseph spent the last four seasons as the Arizona Cardinals' defensive coordinator where he had decent success including defenses that ranked 11th and 12th in 2020 and 2021.
Joseph beats out other big names like former New York Jets and Buffalo Bills head coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan. Former defensive coordinators Matt Patricia, Sean Desai and Kris Richard also interviewed for the position.
Joseph replaces Elijah Evero, a young coach considered to be a rising star in the NFL, who took the Carolina Panther's defensive coordinator position.
Joe Lombardi - Offensive staff
The grandson of legendary Packers coach Vince Lombardi is joining Sean Payton for a third stint as his assistant. While Payton will call plays, Lombardi was brought in to help lead the Broncos’ offense. His title is yet to be determined, but it will be in a coordinator-type role.
Lombardi has been a play-caller twice in his career for the Lions (2014-15) and last season for the Chargers.
Lombardi was on Payton's staff in New Orleans from 2007 to 2013 as an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach, and served as the Saints' quarterbacks coach again from 2016 to 2020.
Mike Westhoff - Assistant head coach
Westhoff returns to Payton's staff after serving as his special teams coordinator in New Orleans in 2017 and 2018.
Before that, he held the same position with the Jets from 2001 to 2012 then spent four years retired.
Ben Kotwica - Special teams coach
Kotwica, who was a special teams assistant with the Jets from 2009 to 2012, rejoins Westhoff.
He has also served as a special teams coordinator for the Jets (2013), Washington (2014-18) and Atlanta (2019-20). He spent last season as an assistant special teams coach with the Vikings.
Davis Webb - Quarterbacks coach
Webb, who just turned 28, will be making a direct transition from playing in the NFL to coaching.
The six-year veteran will be the primary position coach tasked with helping Russell Wilson, who is six years older, bounce back from the worst season of his career.
The 2017 third-round pick has played for the Giants twice, the Jets and the Bills.
Zach Strief - Offensive line coach
The former offensive tackle was drafted by Payton's Saints during his first year with the team in 2006. Strief would go on to play 12 years in New Orleans, earning a first-team All-Pro nomination in 2013.
Strief retired in 2017 and spent 2021 and 2022 as an assistant offensive line coach in New Orleans.
Lou Ayeni - Running backs coach
Ayeni comes from Northwestern University, where he was a running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. Before his time with the Wildcats, he spent four years at Iowa State University.
Keary Colbert - Wide receivers coach
Colbert is expected to replace Zach Azzanni, the Broncos' receivers coach the previous five years who left to take the same role with the New York Jets.
The 2004 second-round pick actually signed a three-year deal worth up to $7.2 million with the Broncos in 2008. However, he was beat out by rookie Eddie Royal and traded to Seattle for a fifth-round pick.
Colbert returns to Denver after spending the last four seasons coaching wide receivers at the University of Southern California (2019-2021) and the University of Florida (2022).
Declan Doyle - Tight ends coach
Doyle comes over from New Orleans, where he spent the last four seasons as an offensive assistant, including three under Payton.
Marcus Dixon - Defensive line coach
Dixon is one of two holdovers from the Nataniel Hackett and Elijah Evero staff.
The former defensive end spent five years playing from 2008 to 2012. After being cut during camp in 2013 and 2014, he retired and transitioned into coaching.
He spent 2021 as an assistant defensive line coach for the Rams before being hired to Hackett's staff.
Greg Manusky - Inside linebackers coach
Manusky has been a coach since 2001 and has served as defensive coordinator three times in San Francisco (2007-2010), San Diego (2011) and Indianapolis (2012-2015).
He was most recently an inside linebackers coach for the Minnesota Vikings. He will serve in the same position for the Broncos this year.
Michael Wilhoite - Outside linebackers coach
Wilhoite entered coaching after a seven-year career with the 49ers and Seahawks.
He was previously a defensive assistant on Payton's staff in New Orleans, and was the Chargers' linebackers coach for the past two seasons under former Broncos assistant Brandon Staley.
Christian Parker - Defensive backs coach
Parker, who will be entering his third season as defensive backs coach, is the other holdover from last year's staff.
He previously spent 2019 and 2020 with the Packers as a defensive quality control coach.
Chris Banjo - Assistant special teams coach
The 10-year special teams standout and backup defensive back will be another coach making the jump directly from playing.
Banjo played those roles for Payton's New Orleans Saints in 2017-18 and the past four years for the Cardinals. He was waived by Arizona this week.
Logan Kilgore - Offensive quality control
The quarterback spent some time in 2014 on the Saints roster as an undrafted free agent before he was cut in September that year.
He spent 2015 to 2019 in the Canadian Football League before starting his coaching career in 2021.
Zack Grossi - Offensive quality coach
Grossi is heading into his second season with the Broncos.
He spent 2020 at Southern University as an offensive coordinator and 2021 at A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as quarterbacks coach.
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