Broncos prioritized keeping 2 members of Nathaniel Hackett’s coaching staff
The Denver Broncos replaced more than a dozen coaches this offseason, including all three coordinator positions.
Most members of Nathaniel Hackett‘s staff were not brought back as new head coach Sean Payton put his stamp on the team with new arrivals. Denver did prioritize bringing back two coaches, though, informing defensive coordinator candidates they wanted to keep them on staff.
Even before Vance Joseph was hired as DC, the Broncos planned to retain defensive backs coach Christian Parker (31) and defensive line coach Marcus Dixon (38).
“I had heard a lot of good things [about them] prior to when I took the job and prior to getting into the building,” Payton said on Feb. 28. “I wanted to visit with those guys. They were real bright when I visited with them. You don’t want to lose good talent, and it’s the same thing with your locker room. You don’t want to lose players that are possibly leaving. Christian is well versed and when you listen to him talk about coverage play and how it fits the fronts — those two have been real instrumental in the defensive coordinator interview process.
“They sat in on the second round of meetings and interviews. Marcus is the same way. They are both young and extremely talented coaches that the first impressions were immediate for me. Then knowing about how others in the building felt, all of that helped me make a decision pretty quickly.”
After the team lost former DC Ejiro Evero to the Carolina Panthers, having Parker and Dixon remain on staff will help provide some continuity for the defensive players going into the 2023 season. They are young, up-and-coming coaches who might one day become DC candidates, and it’s understandable that Payton wanted to keep them in the building.
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