Broncos' Expected Timeline to Hire a New Head Coach

When can Denver Broncos fans expect an announcement on the team's new head coach?

The Denver Broncos fired Nathaniel Hackett on December 26, which gave the team the option for a slight head start on the coaching search. However, the Broncos weren't able to take full advantage of that because the NFL doesn't allow head-coaching interviews in the season's final two weeks.

The Broncos have done what every team looking at hiring a new head coach has done — they started putting together their list of candidates to interview. However, with the lack of interviews and having to abide by specific rules regarding interviews, fans want to know what the Broncos' timeline for hiring a new head coach is.

It's going to take a few weeks. Even with CEO and part-owner Greg Penner taking over the hiring search, with input from GM George Paton, who is losing power in his position, it will take some time. It's reasonable to expect a similar timeline to what Denver did last year with the search that landed Hackett, who was officially hired on January 27, 2022. 

The timeline was set the first week after Denver fired Vic Fangio on January 9. The Broncos went over their list and who they wanted to interview before submitting requests for the candidates in question and scheduling the sit-downs. That was roughly the first week of the process, and the Broncos started their interviews towards the end of that week. 

The Broncos interviewed 10 total candidates and finished the first round by January 22, with their final five sit-downs coming January 19-22. After that process, Denver narrowed the field to the final three candidates and started notifying the other seven coaches that they were out of the running. 

Denver then scheduled its second interviews with  Hackett and Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn (who is also a candidate this year). Still, after their second interview with Hackett, the Broncos made the move to get a deal done, with an agreement and hire officially coming on January 27. 

What happens next on the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

That timeline will probably be somewhat similar to the process this year, though it's unclear the exact number of coaches the Broncos want to interview, despite some names already being public knowledge. 

Quinn, Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh, former New Orleans Saints HC Sean Payton, San Francisco 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans, Los Angeles Rams DC Raheem Morris, and Broncos DC Ejiro Evero are among the candidates Denver has requested to interview. For some of these candidates, the Broncos can interview them immediately, but others have to wait. Payton, for example, can't do in-person interviews until January 17. 

The timeline can't be strictly narrowed down without knowing the candidates the Broncos want to interview. Denver may make its hire sometime during the week of January 15, but sometime during the week of the 22nd seems more likely. 

One thing is for sure, the Broncos won't have a head coach immediately following the season, but they'll have someone in place, even if not officially, by February. 

If the Broncos want a coach who makes it to the Super Bowl, the team would have to wait to hire him officially, but in such a scenario, they'd know it's the guy with an agreement made in principle well before the Super Bowl. The Broncos will want to have an idea of schemes and coaches on both sides of the ball before the week of January 29, as the Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl are on February 2 and 4, respectively, which means practices are that week. 

---

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel.

Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.

Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!