Nine years ago, Vance Joseph became head coach of the Broncos. Now in his third year back with Denver as the team’s defensive coordinator, Joseph is back on the brink of potentially becoming a head coach again.
On Wednesday, Joseph was pragmatic about the fact that his window has flown open for a second time.
“It’s flattering,” Vance told reporters, “but it speaks to the entire program. Again, I think when teams want to hire a coach from a winning program, they want the recipe. So it speaks to coach [Sean] Payton, it speaks to the ownership, it speaks to [General Manager] George [Paton], our players.
“It’s everyone’s reward, so to speak. It’s strange that way. Obviously, when teams are struggling and they want to make a change, they look towards the teams who are winning. How we flipped here in the last three years, it’s pretty special. It’s a way to do it. That secret lies with us, so they want that secret.”
He’s right. Good programs get players paid and assistant coaches promoted. And while that requires capable replacements to be found, it’s far better than the alternative.
In Denver, the transformation started with new ownership. The Walton-Penner group, led by Greg Penner, has the money (more than any other ownership group), and they’re willing to spend it. On things others won’t, like in-season installation of a new grass field proactively. They also have the cash on hand to win jump balls for free agents. While the available cap dollars are what they are, some teams can’t (or won’t) pay as much of the money up front as the Broncos can, and do.
And when Payton was available, they pounced. Along the way, they resisted any potentially lingering league-office animus toward Payton, either from the overhyped and P.R. driven bounty scandal or from his willingness to act as a periodic irritant to Big Shield. They wanted a successful coach, and they got one.
The proof is in the transformation. Playoffs last year. No. 1 seed this year. And while the Broncos have their work cut out for them on Saturday, facing the team that thumped them, 31-7, in the wild-card round a year ago, it’s also an opportunity to show how far the program has come.
Win or lose on Sunday, the arrow is pointing up for the Broncos. If/when Joseph reaps the reward by carrying some of the “secret” to a new team, they’ll find another defensive coordinator who will be paid handsomely — and who may position himself for a head-coaching job, sooner than later.
But the “secret” isn’t really a secret. One, be cash rich. Two, be willing to spend it. Three, hire competent football people. Four (and this is the hardest part for plenty of owners who are used to having their way in all things and at all times), get out of the way.
