Broncos coach search: Where things stand after second Jim Harbaugh meeting – The Athletic

When Broncos CEO Greg Penner began preparing to search for Nathaniel Hackett’s replacement as the Broncos’ head coach in late December, he resolved to meet each candidate for the job in person. So even after University of Michigan president Santa Ono announced on Twitter on Jan. 16 that Jim Harbaugh was returning to the school for a ninth season as its coach, Penner was still determined to follow up on the initial virtual meeting the two sides had one week earlier.

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That’s how Penner came to land in Ann Arbor, Michigan, early last week, sitting down for a face-to-face meeting with Harbaugh about the Broncos’ vacancy. During that meeting, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed, Harbaugh reiterated his desire to remain in Michigan for the 2023 season. The Broncos did not formally offer their head-coaching position to Harbaugh.

The trip could be described as due diligence by Penner, checking off a box on the to-do list Penner created ahead of his first search since his family and other limited shareholders purchased the franchise last August. But would Penner have made the trip — after the coach declared “my heart is at the University of Michigan” in response to Ono’s announcement — if Harbaugh wasn’t viewed as a favorite for the job by the ownership group?

The Broncos were undoubtedly interested in Harbaugh becoming their next head coach. During his previous four-year NFL stint with the 49ers, Harbaugh coached his team to three straight appearances in the NFC Championship Game and reached one Super Bowl. He posted a 44-19-1 overall record. He has won at every college stop he’s had, including a 23-5 record and two College Football Playoff appearances across the past two seasons at Michigan alone. At the majority of his stops — Stanford, the 49ers, Michigan — Harbaugh resurrected once-proud programs that were mired in struggle when he arrived.

That’s the job description in Denver, and the Broncos viewed Harbaugh as the right coach for the task. But it doesn’t appear that vision will become a reality in 2023.

So where do the Broncos, entering the fourth week of searching since the regular season ended, go from here? Is there any end in sight?

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The Broncos still have an eye on DeMeco Ryans, the 49ers defensive coordinator whom the team interviewed during a trip to the Bay Area on Jan. 19, but the possibility of him becoming Denver’s next coach appears to be fading. NFL Network reported on Thursday that Ryans plans to visit Houston this week — he had a virtual meeting with the team earlier in the process — and is considered one of the favorites to become the franchise’s third head coach in as many seasons. ESPN reported Sunday morning that Ryans is “the frontrunner” for the job. The Texans have also interviewed Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon three times in the past two years and would be eligible to meet with him again following Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, just as is the case with Ryans.

The Broncos know the strong ties Ryans has to the Houston area could influence his decision. He was drafted by the Texans in the second round as a linebacker out of the University of Alabama in 2006, and he won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in his first season. He played the first six of his 10 NFL seasons with the Texans before being traded to the Eagles. His wife, Jamila, is from the Houston area and the couple has three children. Those are all strong pulls, to say nothing of the expansive draft capital and salary-cap room the Texans have to offer.

The Broncos haven’t completely closed the door on Ryans becoming their next head coach, but they spent the back half of last week solidifying their backup plans, knowing they would likely have to turn elsewhere. It’s unclear what those backup plans are at this point.

The biggest name remaining in the coaching cycle is Sean Payton. The former Saints coach interviewed with the Broncos on Jan. 17 in the Los Angeles area. The 59-year-old also had in-person interviews with the Cardinals and Panthers, who have since filled their vacancy with the hiring of Frank Reich. There has been no indication that the Broncos have moved deeper into the process with Payton since the initial meeting. Payton tweeted that his meeting with Denver’s ownership group was “fantastic,” but he did so while refuting a Washington Post report that claimed Payton feared a “power struggle” with one member of the Denver ownership group were he to be hired. Whatever the truth of how the initial meeting unfolded, there doesn’t appear to be momentum toward a deal.

The fourth perceived top candidate for the Broncos, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, announced last week that he is staying in Dallas as an assistant for a third season. Quinn has interviewed with the Broncos two years in a row and also had a second interview with the Cardinals this year.

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That leaves four candidates from Denver’s initial pool of eight: Former Lions and Colts coach Jim Caldwell, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, former Stanford coach David Shaw and current Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. No one in this group has been ruled out, but there are reasons to believe the Broncos aren’t seriously targeting any coaches in the group for the vacancy.

Morris, who interviewed with the Broncos in Los Angeles on Jan. 17, had a second interview with the Colts and could be a top candidate there. Shaw and Caldwell did not have any other interviews in this cycle; if the Broncos were enamored with one of those candidates, wouldn’t they have been hired already? Particularly as other top options became unattainable?

That leaves Evero. The 42-year-old, whose Broncos defense was the bright spot in a dreary 5-12 season, has had second interviews with the Texans and Colts. But he has not had a reported second interview with the Broncos, who blocked Evero from interviewing for the defensive coordinator opening with the Falcons that has since been filled by former Saints co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen.

Could Evero be wary of coaching a team that fired Hackett, his long-time friend, after only 15 games? And if Evero isn’t the head coach, will he remain in Denver as the defensive coordinator? He is still under contract with Denver — it’s why the Broncos were able to block the Falcons interview — but his status could ultimately be determined by the next head coach. It’s another wrinkle for the Broncos in a search that still doesn’t have a clear, known next step.

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At this point, the Broncos could be open to the possibility of interviewing more candidates. Two assistants coaching in Sunday’s championship games — Gannon and Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan — were interviewed by the Broncos last year, so there is a familiarity there. Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo could be another possible candidate if the Broncos open up their search. The same goes for Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen.

But there is one wrinkle if the Broncos are going to expand their search to current playoff coaches. Per NFL rules, coaches employed by teams competing in the Super Bowl can only be interviewed next week by teams who already had an initial interview with those candidates in this cycle. If those candidates didn’t have a first interview with a given team, that team can’t interview said candidates until after the Super Bowl. For example, if the Bengals reach the league’s title game, the Broncos could not interview Anarumo until after the Super Bowl because they did not interview him earlier in the process.

The Broncos could bring this search to a rapid close in the coming days. But it’s also well within the realm of possibility that a process already dragging on longer than anticipated when Denver fired Hackett more than one month ago still includes more waiting ahead.

(Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

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