Broncos Hire Mike McCoy, Bill Musgrave

A day after the Broncos lost stalwart defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, they have finalized agreements to bring in two key offensive assistants. The Broncos have hired Mike McCoy, most recently the Chargers’ head coach, as their offensive coordinator. Bill Musgrave, previously the Raiders’ O-coordinator, will join McCoy’s staff as the quarterbacks coach.

McCoy will replace Rick Dennison, Denver’s OC in both Gary Kubiak seasons, and will be tasked with repairing an offense that has fallen off its previously prodigious pace. Denver plummeted to the 27th-ranked attack last season.

McCoy will also head back to Denver, where he morphed into a hot HC candidate years ago. The Broncos employed McCoy as their OC from 2009-12, and the offensive mind became a sought-after coach following his myriad adjustments with the team’s offense.

McCoy took over as the OC when the Broncos hired Josh McDaniels and soon helped Kyle Orton to a strong stretch before the Broncos pivoted to Tim Tebow midway through the 2011 season. The John Fox-led Broncos rebounded from a 1-4 start and into the playoffs, but McCoy helping rearrange the offense midseason into a zone-read-based attack for the unconventional passer earned him praise around the league. The 44-year-old coach then helped Peyton Manning begin his run in Denver the following year, one that resulted in the quarterback winning comeback player of the year honors and the Broncos going 13-3.

The Chargers struggled the past two years but were hit with numerous injuries in that span, one that followed 9-7 seasons in McCoy’s first two years. Philip Rivers became a more efficient passer under McCoy, turning in his top three completion-
percentage seasons from 2013-15. Rivers topped out at 69 percent, which coincided with the Bolts’ 2013 playoff run. San Diego ranked fifth in total offense that season. The Bolts deployed top-16 offenses in three of McCoy’s four years.

The Broncos were also in the market for a quarterbacks coach following news that Greg Knapp wouldn’t be retained by Joseph (via Mike Klis of 9News, on Twitter). Musgrave will certainly be an interesting addition to the staff, as the longtime coach has led several high-powered offenses during his 20 years of coaching. Musgrave spent the past two seasons developing an intriguing young offense in Oakland. Prior to that, Musgrave served as the offensive coordinator for the Vikings and Jaguars, and he’s also been the quarterbacks coach for the Eagles, Falcons, and Redskins. Klis adds (on Twitter) that the Bills and Browns had expressed interest in Mugrave for their offensive coordinator vacancies.