The Denver Broncos and Sean Payton had a good problem: trying to keep the coaching staff from being raided by other teams. They couldn’t keep it fully intact.
But they were able to keep much of it together — although some key coaches will march into the 2025 season with new, elevated titles, as announced by the team Thursday.
Most notably, defensive pass-game coordinator Jim Leonhard and offensive line coach Zach Strief will each receive assistant head coach titles, while quarterbacks coach Davis Webb will add offensive pass-game coordinator to his CV.
The Broncos had a sole assistant head coach the last two seasons: Mike Westhoff, the longtime special-teams guru. He left the team after Week 10 due to health concerns.
Strief will also become the Broncos’ offensive run-game coordinator. His assistant on the offensive line, Austin King, will move over to tight ends, replacing Declan Doyle, who departed to become offensive coordinator with the Chicago Bears.
Also receiving elevations within the coaching staff are:
Addison Lynch, who moves from defensive quality control to cornerbacks coach
Isaac Shewmaker, who shifts from defensive quality control to linebackers coach
Shaun Snee, who goes from assistant in strength and conditioning to director of strength and conditioning
Joining the staff are:
Todd Davis (defensive quality control)
Zach Line (special teams quality control)
Marwan Maalouf (assisant special teams)
Chris Morgan (assistant offensive line)
Brian Niedermeyer (defensive quality control)
Taylor Porter (assistant strength and conditioning)
Darren Rizzi (special teams coordinator, previously announced)
Evan Rothstein (director of game management/offensive-line assistant)
Davis played with the Broncos from 2014-19, but made his NFL debut in a 3-game stint with the New Orleans Saints in 2014 under Sean Payton.
The Saints tried to pass him through waivers and sneak him to the practice squad, but the Broncos claimed him when they needed a linebacker in the wake of a season-ending injury suffered by Nate Irving.
Davis subsequently remained in Denver after his retirement from playing following the 2020 season, which he spent with the Minnesota Vikings.