Jack Del Rio Officially Replaces Dennis Allen As Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator

One look at the wrong statistic can be quite misleading. It’s easy to think that the Denver Broncos consistent turnover at the defensive coordinator position would limit any real growth and development of young players and would end up crippling the franchise. While the Broncos have been frustrated by their lack of success in recent years, they did well enough last year defensively to win the AFC West and now their newest addition to fill the hole caused by Dennis Allen’s departure is the best possibility for the job.

ESPN’s Bill Williamson calls it a “terrific hire” and he’s right to say to. Allen left to become the head coach of the Oakland Raiders after only one season as an NFL coordinator and it left head coach John Fox with a void at a position he might not have been prepared for. But Jack Del Rio was also available after being axed by the Jacksonville Jaguars, so a marriage was possible.

Williamson writes, “Many Denver fans might have upset that Allen left; however, Del Rio is a terrific hire by the Broncos. Fox said Wednesday that he was in no hurry to find a replacement for Allen, but the quick hiring of Del Rio shows Fox felt great about this move. Though Del Rio had been on the market for several weeks, this reconnection between Del Rio and Fox — Del Rio was Fox’s first defensive coordinator in Carolina in 2002 before becoming Jacksonville head coach in 2003 — should ease the mind of Denver fans.”

Del Rio was likely the first choice, so Williamson is right to say this is a terrific hire. Many teams have to settle in one way or another, but 2011 already proved the Broncos are a nice team on the rise and the major coaching hole they had to fill went perfectly. So far so good for the Broncos moving forward.

The move that was predicted by some has now come to fruition. The Denver Broncos officially announced the hiring of Jack Del Rio as the new defensive coordinator after Dennis Allen left the position after one year to become the new head coach of the Oakland Raiders.

For Del Rio, it’s a nice place to land with a strong defense anchored by a great pass rush after losing his gig as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was a no win situation for Del Rio in Jacksonville last year, so it’s likely he will get some head coaching interviews if he can keep the defensive stats in Denver high up in the league-wide rankings. From the official NFL release:

Del Rio is the Broncos’ fifth coordinator in five seasons. He also has a strong relationship with Broncos coach John Fox, having served as Fox’s defensive coordinator in 2002, when he was head coach of the Carolina Panthers.

“We are thrilled to be able to add such a well-respected defensive coach to our staff,” Fox said. “He was an integral part of our turnaround on defense during my first year with the Panthers in 2002. His defenses with the Jaguars have ranked among the NFL’s best, and we are excited he’s a Bronco.”