DENVER — Vance Joseph’s second act in Denver is at hand.
The former Broncos head coach, fired following the 2018 season after an unsuccessful two-year run, is returning to the franchise to serve as Sean Payton’s defensive coordinator, multiple league sources confirmed to The Post on Thursday morning.
Joseph, 50, has spent the past four seasons serving as Arizona’s defensive coordinator after going 11-21 in two seasons as the Broncos' head coach.
In Denver, he should have full authority over the defense given Payton’s offensive expertise and his experience running a defense.
Joseph succeeded Gary Kubiak after the 2016 season but lasted only two seasons as the franchise’s head coaching carousel tilted into high gear. He was succeeded by Vic Fangio for three seasons and then Nathaniel Hackett for just 15 games before Denver hired Payton in recent weeks.
Denver had stout defenses both years under Joseph but struggled mightily on offense.
Joseph and the Cardinals came to Denver in December and the Broncos prevailed, 24-15. That week, Joseph was asked about his time as the head coach.
“I’m over it. It was never a sore spot,” Joseph said then. “That’s a great opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL. It didn’t work out, but I wasn’t the first guy and I won’t be the last. There were never any ill feelings. It was just a job, it didn’t get done and you move on.”
Joseph was released from his contract by Arizona after that franchise hired Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon as head coach following that franchise’s Super Bowl loss to Kansas City. Earlier this week he also interviewed with the Eagles for their defensive coordinator opening but instead will return to Denver to work for Payton and the Broncos’ new ownership group.
When Joseph was hired in 2017, he had spent just one year as a defensive coordinator in Miami. Before that, he coached defensive backs for several teams, including Cincinnati, Houston and San Francisco. Perhaps his best defenses were the talented Broncos groups he oversaw in 2017 and 2018, but Denver — as it has since Kubiak retired — failed to score points consistently on offense.
Asked what would have happened if he would have had a franchise quarterback during his tenure here, Joseph in December smiled and said, “I’m assuming we would have won some games because defensively it was right. It was right. That’s been stated numerous times, but that wasn’t the case. It was a fast two years in Denver. I can’t say it wasn’t warranted. I mean, we didn’t win.
“They wanted change and I was the guy to change. That’s part of being the head coach.”
Now, he’s only got one unit to worry about and it’s a talented one headlined by cornerback Pat Surtain II, safety Justin Simmons, defensive lineman D.J. Jones and outside linebacker Randy Gregory. Among the franchise’s top free agent decisions to make in the next three weeks are defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones — who could be franchise tagged while the sides attempt to work out a long-term extension — and inside linebacker Alex Singleton.
The Broncos are expected to retain defensive backs coach Christian Parker and defensive line coach Marcus Dixon in some capacity on the staff, sources have told The Post. They are the only two remaining lead position assistants on staff from Hackett’s 2022 group.
Payton cast a wide net when looking for a defensive coordinator. He also is known to have conducted interviews with now-ESPN analyst Rex Ryan, Seattle assistant Sean Desai, former New Orleans co-defensive coordinator Kris Richard and Patriots assistant Matt Patricia.
Any of them, though perhaps particularly Patricia and Richard given their current roles, could conceivably end up on Payton’s staff in other capacities as the new Broncos coach puts a clear emphasis on experience with his staff.
When Payton first started considering a return to the NFL this season, he was reportedly interested in hiring Fangio as his defensive coordinator. Fangio, however, ended up taking the coordinator job in Miami. Now, another former Broncos head coach will serve as Payton’s defensive leader.
He is not, however, the first former Denver head coach to return as defensive coordinator. Wade Phillips did the same thing, serving as head coach in 1993-94 after three years as the defensive coordinator and then returning to the organization in that role for 2015-16.
Payton dips into college coaching ranks
Payton is mining the college football coaching ranks for at least one of his staff positions.
The Broncos are moving toward hiring Florida wide receivers coach Keary Colbert to coach the same position in Denver, sources told The Post on Thursday morning. On3 first reported the hire.
Colbert, 40, spent 2022 coaching for the Gators and six seasons before that USC. After two years as a quality control coach for the Trojans, Colbert coached tight ends and slot receivers for one year and then receivers for three.
Colbert was a 2004 second-round draft pick of the Carolina Panthers and after four seasons there signed a three-year deal with Denver in 2008. He was traded only months after signing the deal, though.
