There are a few times in life when relationships are rekindled after a sour breakup. Sometimes, it takes a willingness to look past the bad moments to mend the bond.
That was the case for Vance Joseph.
Five years removed from his unsuccessful head coaching stint in Denver, Joseph has returned as the defensive coordinator with a fresh mind. He says he doesn’t dwell on the back-to-back losing seasons that led to his firing after the 2018 campaign. For Joseph, the opportunity to rejoin the Broncos and work with head coach Sean Payton made coming back to Denver worth it.
“I’m back now, and my focus is to play good defense with Sean and win games,” Joseph said after Wednesday’s minicamp session in his first time speaking to reporters since his hiring in February.
This isn’t the first time the Broncos have brought a previously fired head coach back as defensive coordinator. Wade Phillips was shown the door as head coach in 1994 before returning as the coordinator in 2015, orchestrating an elite defense that helped win Super Bowl 50.
After Joseph was hired, he called Philips, who reminded him of his accomplishments.
“Hopefully, I can follow his trail,” said Joseph, who spent the past four seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals.
Joseph said he did everything he could as the head coach for the Broncos. In a league that demands winning, Joseph knew a change was coming after Denver went 11-21 over his two seasons leading the team. He didn’t allow his ego to get in the way after he got fired. He never carried a grudge toward the organization.
“It was never personal for me,” Joseph said. “I came here, worked my butt off, and it didn’t work.”
The idea of Joseph returning to Denver after a failed coaching stint never crossed Payton’s mind. The former New Orleans Saints coach cared only about Joseph’s leadership, communication skills and ability to run a defense.
Payton said his staff consists of coaches who are teachers. Some are old, some are young, but each brings a unique trait and experience. When it comes to Joseph, Payton admires his calmness.
“There’s a poise and credibility he presents,” Payton said. “That’s impressive.”
Joseph is happy to be on the same sideline as Payton instead of the opposite side, calling him one of the best play-callers in NFL history. Joseph highlighted the difficulties of figuring out Payton’s next move, noting his personnel groups are hard to match.
He praised Payton for always being ahead of the curve, knowing what opposing defenses are going to do next.
“He saves plays for big moments,” Joseph said. “(Plays) you haven’t seen in a month or maybe a year would pop out in the fourth quarter. It’s tough to defend.”
In his return to Denver, Joseph wants to continue what the Broncos’ defense did well last season. Football Outsiders ranked Denver’s defense 10th in the league in DVOA in 2022.
He called the defense an experienced group that’s eager to learn.
“It’s fun to watch those guys talk through concepts and follow my lead,” Joseph said. “It’s my job to marry that language.”
Joseph is excited to work with safeties Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson and linebacker Josey Jewell, all of whom he coached in the past. He said he’s impressed with how Simmons’ career has evolved over the years. He also called star cornerback Pat Surtain II a “special” player.
“(Surtain’s) best trait is his intelligence,” he said. “He wants to get better every single day.”
Simmons said he enjoys having Joseph in the meeting rooms more. When Joseph was the head coach, Simmons said he was a little less hands-on due to having more responsibilities on the team.
“I’ve talked to (Joseph) more in the past few weeks than when he was the head coach,” Simmons said. “He’s able to coach the little things, and we are talking formations. I loved him when he was here as a head coach, so I’m thankful we got him again.”
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