Finalizing a whirlwind courting, the Broncos officially landed one of the most respected defensive minds in the NFL on Thursday.
After finalizing the deal Wednesday, Jim Bates was announced as the Denver’s assistant head coach for defense. Secondary coach Bob Slowik was promoted to defensive coordinator.
Bates, 60, replaces Larry Coyer, who was fired Tuesday as defensive coordinator. In addition to Bates, the Broncos might be close to hiring defensive line coach Bill Johnson, who was on Atlanta’s staff in 2006. Falcons coach Jim Mora was fired, leaving the assistants in limbo. Johnson has coached with several of the Broncos’ assistants. If hired, Johnson would replace defensive line/tackles coach Andre Patterson, who also was fired Tuesday.
The Broncos still might reshuffle some of the current coaches in the coming weeks. There is also a chance the team will add a special-teams coach. Shanahan has long been an admirer of former Jacksonville special- teams coach Pete Rodriguez.
Bates, whose son Jeremy is an offensive assistant for the Broncos, finished the 2004 season as the interim head coach in Miami. Bates left for Green Bay, where he was the defensive coordinator. He left the Packers after the 2005 season and did not coach this past season.
Slowik, entering his third season with the Broncos, was a defensive coordinator in Cleveland, Chicago and Green Bay. Slowik is known for his understanding of the game and his strategy. He is well-liked by Denver’s players.
The arrangement with Bates and Slowik will be similar to the one the Broncos use on offense, where Mike Heimerdinger is the assistant head coach and Rick Dennison is the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.
Bates is expected to call the defensive plays. He’s known around the league for being an outstanding teacher and for his fiery, enthusiastic approach.
Bates’ defenses have centered on fast linebackers. That should be a perfect fit in Denver. The Broncos’ trio of Al Wilson, Ian Gold and D.J. Williams is considered one of the fastest units. Bates also believes in a strong pass rush from the defensive ends and a collapsing attack from his defensive tackles. In Miami and Green Bay, several players made drastic improvements while playing for Bates.
“It’s a great fit for Jim and the Broncos,” said Bates’ agent, Gary O’Hagan. “The Broncos are getting a very bright, smart coach.”
Bates has worked with defensive line coach Jacob Burney in Cleveland and coached defensive backs assistant Jimmy Spencer at Florida.
Footnotes
The Broncos allocated five players to NFL Europe: center Greg Eslinger, tight end Teyo Johnson, guard Kevin McAlmont, tackle Doug Nienhuis and cornerback Lamont Reid. Eslinger was a sixth-round pick in 2006 and was on injured reserve because of a shoulder injury. The team wants Eslinger to work on his strength while he plays in Europe.
Bill Williamson can be reached at 303-954-1262 or bwilliamson@denverpost.com.
