After the Denver Broncos fired Josh McDaniels (then a first-time head coach) in 2010, they turned to John Fox, who had previous experience as a head coach in the NFL.
Fox helped the Broncos win four-straight division titles and they reached a Super Bowl with him. After parting ways with the veteran coach, Denver then brought in Gary Kubiak, who also had previous head coach experience.
Kubiak had two winning seasons (including a Super Bowl-winning campaign in 2015) before stepping away from football for health reasons.
In the post-McDaniels aftermath, the Broncos brought in experienced coaches who helped right the ship. After Kubiak left, Denver went back to hiring first-time coaches.
First, the team brought in Vance Joseph, who went 11-21 before being fired. Then the Broncos hired Vic Fangio, who went 19-30 before his exit. After that, Denver turned to Nathaniel Hackett, who went 4-11 and was fired before completing his first season as a head coach.
After three-straight inexperienced coaches failed to get the Broncos back to the playoffs, it’s reasonable for fans and pundits to assume that the organization might lean toward more experienced candidates this time.
During a press conference on Tuesday, though, Denver general manager George Paton insisted that experience is not a prerequisite for the job.
“If you have experience, it helps. It certainly helps, but it’s not necessary,” Paton said. “We are going to keep an open mind through this search. If there is a quality candidate that is experienced, then sure, certainly, but we’re not going to limit ourselves to just experienced candidates.”
One of the notable experienced candidates expected to get head coach interviews this year is Dan Quinn, who was a finalist for the Broncos’ job last year before they hired Hackett. Another notable experienced candidate is Frank Reich, who is available for an interview sooner than coaches currently employed by another team.
Quinn and Reich might be notable names to watch, but if Paton is being truthful, Denver will not limit its list of candidates to experienced coaches.
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