Denver DC's Peers Know He's Ready To Be A Head Coach Again

The Denver Broncos have one of the strongest coaching staffs in the NFL, and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is a big part of it. He’s a former head coach in his own right, and with the Broncos at that. 

But Joseph deserves a shot at another job as head coach, and other coaches know it. It hasn’t happened yet, but other coaches around the league know that’s not fair.

“The success he’s had the last couple years in Denver, having the defense like he’s had, and building the credibility, credentials that he’s had — not to get a shot or another shot, is unbelievable to me,” said Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles told reporters at the NFL owners’ meetings in March in a report written by Luca Evans of the Denver Post. “So, something has to be fixed.”

But Joseph didn’t support Evans’ story, nor did he agree to be interviewed for it. He says he’s okay with not getting another head coaching job, but it’s fair to wonder if he’s saying that in part because he knows it’s something he has to say, and also because he’s loyal to current head coach Sean Payton. 

“My focus now is to get back in position, and that’s winning games for the Broncos and being a great defense again,” Joseph said back in June. “It’s a process that is different every single year. I can’t be concerned about the outcomes. Just keep pushing forward, winning games and being in position to interview.”

Another coach who’s spoken out about Joseph is Leslie Frazier, an assitant head coach for the Seattle Seahawks who was also a head coach for the Minnesota Vikings. 

“I’m not an owner, not a general manager,” Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier said during Super Bowl Week in San Francisco. . “But how does that happen? I just don’t get it. His resume should speak for itself. Disappointed. I hope that things will change.

“But when there are 10 jobs, and there’s not one Black coach who anyone feels is qualified or capable of leading their team — just makes me scratch my head. It’s just disappointing.”

The NFL has talked the talk when it comes to minority hiring and programs to promote it, but they haven’t walked the walk, with just three Black head coaches set to lead teams into the 2026 season. 

“There’s not many of them anywhere,” said former Browns head coach Hue Jackson. “And the numbers get worse. The numbers are as bad as it’s ever been, now.”

It’s an appalling situation, and Joseph is a victim. He wouldn’t say it, but there are plenty of first-rate coaches around the league, both Black and white, who would be happy to say it for him given the quality of the Denver Broncos defense going into this season.