Report: Broncos Fill Coordinator Job With Ex-Vikings Coach

The Denver Broncos head-hunted a coach from Minnesota to serve as special teams coordinator.

The Denver Broncos have a new special teams coordinator. First reported by JP Finlay of NBC Sports, Denver will be hiring Ben Kotwica to help turn around what has devolved into one of the most consistently poor special teams units in the NFL.

"Ben Kotwica set to take over as special teams coordinator for Denver Broncos, per source. Previous stops with the Jets and in Washington, spent last year in Minnesota. Sharp guy joining an experienced staff for Sean Payton and the Broncos," Finlay tweeted on Friday. 

Ben Kotwica set to take over as special teams coordinator for Denver Broncos, per source. Previous stops with the Jets and in Washington, spent last year in Minnesota. Sharp guy joining an experienced staff for Sean Payton and the Broncos

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) February 17, 2023

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Kotwica has previous stops as the special teams coordinator for the New York Jets (2013), Washington (2014-2018), Atlanta Falcons (2019-2020), and Minnesota Vikings (2022). He was with the Vikings last season as the assistant special teams coordinator. While special teams is often a forgotten phase of football in comparison to the offense and defense, folks in Broncos Country know all too well when the unit is struggling.

Not only did the Broncos struggle immensely in kicking, punting, kick returning, punt returning, and long snapping last season, but the coverage units for special teams all struggled as well.

Alec Lewis, who covers the Vikings for The Athletic, sees Kotwica's departure to Denver as “another tough loss for the Vikings coaching staff,” touting that the coach was an integral part of a strong Minnesota special teams unit this past season that helped the team win many games. 

While the Vikings did have a lot of luck in the 2022 season, winning an NFL record 11 one-score games (their only one-score loss coming in the playoffs), that good fortune doesn’t happen without special teams helping to guide the way.

Kotwica, who played linebacker and was a team captain for Army from 1993 to 1996, has not only excelled in his football coaching tenure but also received a high ranking during a military career following his college days. Kotwica received the rank of captain as a helicopter pilot while serving missions in multiple conflicts, including the Iraq War, according to his Wikipedia.

There isn't much by way of good analytics out there for special teams units, but one thing to be wary of with Kotwica is his units’ DVOA ranking from Football Outsiders. Last season with the Vikings, his unit ranked 30th in the NFL (even behind Denver at 29th). Kotwica’s units averaged 17th-best overall during his eight seasons as a special teams coordinator. 

With former long-time special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff in Denver meeting with head coach Sean Payton, it may come as a surprise that the team opted for Kotwica instead of one of the more accomplished special teams coordinators in recent league history. However, it’s probable that Kotwica received a strong endorsement from Westhoff. 

According to ESPN's Jeff Legwold, the Broncos will hire Westhoff as an assistant. 

"Have been told Mike Westhoff has signed deal to be assistant head coach for Broncos and will oversee special teams with Ben Kotwica having been hired as special teams coordinator... And Kotwica is now second former helicopter pilot to be Broncos ST coach -- so was Mike Priefer," Legwold tweeted. 

Kotwica served under Westhoff as a special teams quality control coach for the Jets from 2007-08, as well as being the assistant to the special teams coach from 2009-2012. Kotwica and Westhoff worked intimately together for many years in the Jets organization.

Broncos Country is still waiting for Denver to announce who the team hired as the Broncos’ new offensive and defensive coordinator, but the often overlooked special teams corps has a new head man that can hopefully begin to turn around an underachieving unit in the Mile High City.

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