As Vance Joseph’s candidacy for Denver’s defensive coordinator position advanced from whispered theoretical to actual possibility, he encountered a couple of wrinkles in the interview process.
First, of course, was the fact that he spent 2017 and 2018 as the Broncos head coach before getting fired after an 11-21 run. He and coach Sean Payton said that era didn’t take up much of their early conversations.
Another unique element: Payton included defensive backs coach Christian Parker and defensive line coach Marcus Dixon, the two only two assistants he planned on keeping from Nathaniel Hackett’s 2022 staff, in the interview process for coordinator candidates.