The Denver Broncos are still settling into the new Nathaniel Hackett era.
The brand-new head coach has already made a few momentous coaching hires, installing former Green Bay tight ends coach Justin Outten as offensive coordinator, former Minnesota OC Klint Kubiak as QBs coach/pass game coordinator, and former San Francisco assistant Butch Barry as offensive line coach.
In hiring Barry, Hackett opted to move on from Denver's venerated O-line coach Mike Munchak, which came as a bit of a shock to many in Broncos Country, considering his reputation and resume. Over the last few days, Hackett hasn't stopped at Munchak.
9NEWS' Mike Klis has reported that Hackett has notified multiple Vic Fangio holdovers that they won't be retained. Those coaches are: DC Ed Donatell, LBs coach Reggie Herring, defensive pass game coordinator Chris Beake, TEs coach Wade Harman, assistant DL coach Mike Heistand, and offensive quality control coach Chris Cook.
Two of those coaches were on Denver's Super Bowl 50 championship staff — Herring and Beake. Some fans will have misgivings over those two dismissals, especially Herring, whose resume coaching linebackers in Denver speaks for itself, elevating relative no-namers like Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall in days of yore and recently, Josey Jewell and Alexander Johnson, to say nothing of 2021 rookie Baron Browning and Jonas Griffith.
Hackett is moving to install his own hand-chosen guys, and for the most part, that is par-for-the-course for a new head coach. Hackett is mostly keeping his hires thus far within the Shanahan/Gruden coaching-tree family.
Hackett informed former OC Pat Shurmur that he would not be retained. The Broncos also let former special teams coordinator Tom McMahon hit the bricks.
It'll be interesting to see whether D-line coach Bill Kollar is retained by Hackett, along with WRs coach Zach Azzanni and RBs coach Curtis Modkins. All three have created a lot of production within their respective position groups, even though it hasn't come out in the wash relative to team success.
As much as these coaches' departure might sting a little, it's important to remember that this collection of coaches hasn't been able to cut the mustard over the last few years. The Broncos haven't made the playoffs since hoisting the Lombardi Trophy six years ago and haven't even sniffed the postseason since Gary Kubiak's final season in 2016 where the team finished 9-7 and narrowly missed out on the tournament.
The Hackett hire signified GM George Paton's resolve to really shake things up in Denver and rebuild this team — starting with the coaching staff — in his image. Out with the old, in with the new.
At this point, the Broncos have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain from hiring younger, hungry coaches still champing at the bit to make their mark in the NFL. Let it happen.
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