During one of the most interesting head coaching searches in NFL history, the Denver Broncos are right in the middle of it.
At the beginning of the process, the top two leaders in the clubhouse seemed to be former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.
That’s not the case anymore.
According to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is leading the way to become the next head coach of the Broncos.
“He’s the front runner let’s put it that way, the leader in the clubhouse,” Klis said during his local radio hit on 104.3 The Fan.
“DeMeco Ryans is definitely atop, if not the top candidate that the Broncos are looking for in this head coaching search.”
Not only are the Broncos interested in Ryans, so is the team that drafted him back in 2006.
“It’s between the Broncos and Houston [Texans]. What I’ve been told, Houston is very interested in him also.”
According to Pro Football Talk, the Broncos are expected to make a decision between Ryans and former Stanford head coach David Shaw.
Ryans can’t be hired until after the 49ers’ season comes to an end. San Francisco will play in the NFC Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles on January 29.
Ryans Impressed Denver in His Interview
When Broncos CEO and owner Greg Penner last met with the Denver media on December 27, he explained that he needs someone who can lead his team.
“Obviously, the X’s and O’s are important, but we need a strong leader for this organization that’s focused on winning. That starts with culture. It’s instilling a sense of accountability, discipline, and we need an identity on offense. At the starting point, it’s got to be about culture and leadership. Those characteristics are what we’ll be focused on the most.”
Klis said that Ryans interviewed well and made a name for himself within the Broncos’ organization.
“DeMeco is someone they’re very impressed with. I know they wanted experience, but this guy with as thin as his resume is, it’s very impressive. People are speaking very highly of him and comparing him to Mike Tomlin when it came out 16 years ago.” Klis added, “Penner wasn’t closeminded to the experience, he kept an open mind and DeMeco Ryans came to the forefront at least right now. He’s someone that I do believe they would like to reel in.”
First-Time Head Coaches Have Not Worked Out For Denver
The Broncos have been known for hiring first-time head coaches in recent years with the hope that they found the next diamond in the rough, but that hasn’t been the case.
Dating back to 2009, the Broncos brought in Josh McDaniels who was having success winning Super Bowls with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Once he ended up in Denver, it turned into a disaster.
McDaniels went ahead and traded starting quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears in exchange for Kyle Orton. The former New England offensive coordinator continued to make dramatic changes by trading away even more key players.
In his first season, McDaniels started off with a 6-0 record, before finishing the season 2-8 and missing the playoffs.
The following season would continue to get worse and McDaniels would be fired after 12 games.
McDaniels ended his Broncos head coaching career with a 11-17 overall record.
After winning a Super Bowl with Gary Kubiak in 2016, Denver went out and hired first-time head coach Vance Joseph who spent two seasons in Denver, but didn’t have success either.
Joseph lost the locker room early on because the defense was playing well, but the offense continued to struggle in both seasons. Joseph finished with a 11-21 record.
Denver then hired Vic Fangio, who lasted three seasons, but had the same issues as Joseph. Fangio had a solid defense, but no offense.
Fangio would finish with a 19-30 record.
Of the four most recent first-time head coaches for the Broncos, Denver has a combined record of 45-79 and not a single playoff appearance or winning season.
Head coaches John Fox and Kubiak on the other hand combined for a record of 67-29 with five straight playoff appearances and two Super Bowl appearances.
If Ryans is named the next head coach of the Broncos, hopefully he can change the trend of first-time head coaches in Denver.
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Insider Names ‘Front Runner in the Clubhouse’ in Broncos HC Search