Broncos' Best In-House Interim HC Option if Hackett Gets Fired

Who is the Denver Broncos' best interim head coach option if Nathaniel Hackett gets fired?

The Denver Broncos are far below expectations, and fans want head coach Nathaniel Hackett fired sooner rather than later. But, of course, that would entail an in-season firing, which is hard to argue against with the offense's performance this season. 

Even though the quality of play on the offensive line and, more importantly, the poor-quality quarterback performance the Broncos are getting from Russell Wilson are issues, Hackett isn't blameless. 

Hackett's scheme has been reworked with heavy input from Wilson regarding what he wants to do, and it's on the head coach to put his foot down and essentially force what works with this offense. 

Despite the issues with Hackett, the scheme is getting receivers open in a timely manner, but they're getting missed. When the offense gets Wilson working on-schedule, the offense looks great. 

QBs coach Klint Kubiak was handed the play-calling duties, and he turned Wilson into a glorified game manager. In the game against the Raiders, Wilson threw six of his 31 passes beyond 10 yards, with just as many thrown behind the line of scrimmage. 

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— Erick Trickel (@ErickTrickel) November 22, 2022

Despite the issues of the quarterback, it's on Hackett to put his foot down and put the team above all, and call plays that the offense can run. He did this with the run game, going away from concepts the Broncos don't have the personnel to run. 

It didn't improve the run game but slightly improved Denver's efficiency. Not a significant difference, but it shows some presence of mind by a coach ridiculed for not wanting to adapt the passing game. I wonder why. 

Hackett's clock management and decision-making to start the season were so terrible that the Broncos hired another coach to take over that purview. Then he handed over play-calling duties. Plus, creating the opening 15-to-18-play script to open a game is a process that involves multiple other coaches. Hackett doesn't do anything on his own at this point. 

There are plenty of reasons to fire Hackett, and while it seems unlikely to happen in the season, being swept by the Josh McDaniels-led Las Vegas Raiders does make it more likely to happen. If Hackett does get fired in season, who are the options to take over as interim? 

Let's dive into the candidates to divine which coach makes the most sense internally. 

Ejiro Evero | DC

Pros

Evero has been mentioned as one of the hotter coaching candidates for this next cycle. His defense, with the exception of the two Raiders games, has been playing good football. As a young creative defensive mind, having his unit play at a high level, even with all the injuries, it is easy to see why he is being viewed as a head-coaching candidate.

Making Evero the interim would give the Broncos a look at him in the job if they wanted to look his way as a permanent replacement for Hackett. In addition, Denver would get a great look at how Evero goes about the daily tasks and running the team in-game.

Cons

If brain trust makes him head coach and decides it doesn't want to make him the head coach full-time, the Broncos would give every other team a look at him. It would make it significantly more challenging to keep him if the Broncos want to go in a different direction in 2023 while retaining him as defensive coordinator. On top of that, with how the defense has been doing, you wouldn't want to take his focus away from the unit to give every team a look at Evero as a head coach.

Bottom Line

Of all the candidates on this list, this should be one of the last options, simply because of how much harder it would be to retain Evero after the season if you made him interim. He is already getting consideration as a head-coaching candidate, so unless you are making him the next head coach, don't give a view of him doing the job.

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Justin Outten | OC

Pros

Outten has been involved throughout the process with the offense. With him being passed over as the play-caller, you could turn to Outten to take over to give him more to do.

Cons

There are many cons to Outten taking over as the interim. First, he was snubbed as the play-caller when Hackett relinquished the duties. He doesn't have much experience in his current role, and adding more to his plate could be even more problematic. Outten's relationship with Hackett wouldn't be an issue, but it is probably a lateral move at best.

Bottom Line

Outten was included on this list because he is the offensive coordinator. His resume doesn't suggest him as the interim (or offensive coordinator). While he is involved in the game plan and the script, it's a collaborative process.

There isn't anything to really point to Outten except that it maybe causes the least amount of change for the team, but if you're firing your coach this late, it means you're eliminated from the playoffs. So even that fact doesn't help his case. 

Dwayne Stukes | STC

Pros

Stukes is a young coach that the players seem to like. But, similarly to Outten, there probably wouldn't be much changed so late in the season.

Cons

It's hard to consider a coordinator as an interim when his unit is playing terribly. Denver has the worst special teams unit in the NFL in Football DVOA with a -6.1%. The 31st-ranked special teams sits at -5.3%.

Stukes' two projects, Montrell Washington and Corliss Waitman, have failed more than succeeded. The Broncos' special teams have had one good game this season: the first game against the Raiders. Outside of that, at least one aspect of special teams has been terrible in each contest.

Bottom Line

Stukes made this list because he is the coordinator. However, his resume doesn't back him up as an interim option. 

Klint Kubiak | QBs Coach & Play-Caller

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Pros

Kubiak got the play-calling duties, which speaks to his coaching ability. He also has his dad he can fall back on (outside of games) to give him tips and pointers (as does Hackett). 

A couple of years ago, Kubiak was viewed as a rising offensive mind that would eventually climb to head coach soon, but there have been bumps in the road that have derailed that trajectory.

You are getting a look at Kubik as an offensive coordinator, essentially with him being the play-caller. He has always had a hand in the script and offensive game plan. The scheme he actually runs could be what Wilson needs, but it would be hard to make such a drastic change this late in the season.

It would give Denver a look at someone who was once viewed as an up-and-coming coach to see whether that potential is still there. You also aren't worried about other teams wanting to hire Kubiak as you are Evero, which is a significant difference between the two.

Cons

It would be a big jump in responsibility for Kubiak, but he has shown he can handle added pressure during his short career. The biggest issue is he did a great job with the script in Minnesota but struggled once he was off the script. That issue was there in the Raiders game, and becoming the interim would make it harder to focus on improving that.

Bottom Line

While Kubiak isn't a bad option, he isn't a great one either. The lack of experience on this coaching staff hurts when you get to this kind of situation. Kubiak has his own issues, and it needs to be understood that he isn't his father. 

Bill Kollar | Defense Special Projects

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Pros

Kollar has been in Denver for a few years and took a step back from the D-Line coach to defense/special projects coach. There isn't much on his plate, and he has the gruff attitude that the team needs while not being too gruff that the players take issue with him.

Kollar makes this list because of the attitude difference between Kollar and Hackett. Hackett is focused on being player-friendly, while Kollar will bond with players, but he will hold them uber-accountable.

Cons

Kollar has been a defensive line coach for the majority of his career. He was the assistant head coach in Houston for a few years, but it would still be a huge jump. However, the jump isn't as concerning with how long he has been around the NFL and how respected he is as a coach.

Bottom Line

Denver needs someone who will be more willing to hold players accountable and do what is best for the team. While it would be a significant jump for Kollar, that is the type of coach he is. 

Dom Capers | Senior Defensive Assistant

Pros

Capers has extensive head-coaching experience, though it came more than 15 years ago. He has the same kind of attitude as Kollar, which is what this team could use. Since he was let go as the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator, Capers has bounced around as a senior defensive assistant. 

The best aspect about making Capers the head coach is he can be hands-off on the offense and defense. He can let Evero run the defense, and Kubiak/Outten run the offense while he focuses on game management and cutting down on the lack of discipline penalties that plague this team. 

Cons

There are not any cons to making Capers the interim coach. He isn't going to be looked at as the full-time coach due to his age (72), so you don't have to worry about giving other teams a preview. There isn't a lack of experience, either. 

Bottom Line

Of all the options to make this list, Capers is the best candidate. His attitude and experience are a change from Hackett, with the attitude being what this young team needs. You don't have to look for significant change late in the season, but it would give more to the offensive and defensive coaches. 

It would allow the head coach to be the head coach and the other coaches to focus on their side of the ball. 

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