The Broncos’ interim head coach is one of the most recent additions to the football staff.
Jerry Rosburg, a long-time Baltimore Ravens assistant, was named the interim head coach Monday afternoon after the firing of Nathaniel Hackett earlier in the day, the team announced Monday afternoon.
Rosburg, 67, arrived in Denver in Week 3 after Hackett struggled with a set of high-profile game management mistakes over the opening two games of the season. Rosburg was hired out of retirement to help smooth out Denver’s game management operation.
“He’s definitely helped me quite a bit through so many different areas,” Hackett said Nov. 30 before Denver traveled to Baltimore. “I really appreciated him here and he brings it from that culture and that organization.”
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh recently told reporters: “Jerry may be my best friend in coaching. We go way back. I’ve learned so much with him and we’ve been through so many battles and so many good moments together. He’s a very smart man, smart football man.”
Rosburg was the Ravens’ special teams coordinator from 2008-18 and held the same position in Atlanta (2007) and Cleveland (2001-06).
Now, Rosburg will have command of the team for the final two weeks of the season. Paton, a source told The Post, offered the interim job first to defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, but the first-year coordinator thought it better to remain running the defense for the final two games.
Two assistants out. In addition to Hackett, the Broncos on Monday also fired special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes and offensive line coach Butch Barry, the team announced. Both men were in their first seasons as Broncos assistants.
Stukes coordinated Tampa Bay’s special teams in 2011 and had been an assistant special teams coach around the league since then, including with the Rams last year.
Stukes’ unit was last in the NFL in kick return average (16.9 per return) and veteran kicker Brandon McManus entered the week tied for the NFL high with eight field goal misses. Assistant special teams coach MIke Mallory is coaching the units for the final two weeks, but Rosburg was a long-time special teams coach, so he may have input as well.
Barry was coaching an offensive line room for the first time after many years as an assistant offensive line coach, including stops in San Francisco and Green Bay. Assistant offensive line coach Ben Steele will take over the front line for the final two weeks.
