Michael Lombardi reported Tuesday night that league sources said the Raiders would indeed hire the Broncos’ defensive coordinator, Dennis Allen, to be the Raiders next head coach.
That leaves a very important vacancy in Denver. We all witnessed Tim Tebow’s improbably late game comebacks, but it’s important to realize that the Broncos’ defense was largely responsible for keeping them in those games.
Enter Jack Del Rio. According to Jason La Canfora, league sources are saying that Del Rio is a candidate to replace Allen in Denver.
This development should come as no surprise to anyone that knows the history of Jack Del Rio and John Fox. Del Rio was the Panthers’ defensive coordinator under Fox back in 2002. At the time, Del Rio helped turn the Panthers’ defense into one of the most feared units in the league, ranking 2nd overall, 4th in pass defense, and 8th in rush defense.
From there, Del Rio was hired as the Jaguars head coach. Del Rio was the head coach of the Jaguars from 2003 through most of the 2011 campaign. In that time, Del Rio essentially changed the perception of the Jaguars from an offensive team to a defensive juggernaut. From 2004 through 2007, the Jaguars ranked 11th, 6th, 2nd, and 12th in overall defense respectively.
Jack Del Rio has often been described as a “players’ coach.” That was viewed as an asset from 2005 through 2007, his best years in Jacksonville, but it became a liability when the team went south following the Jaguars 2007 playoff appearance. He may not make a great head coach, but the man knows defense inside and out, up and down.
To address the criticism that being a players’ coach hurts Del Rio’s ability to be effective, you have to consider his former role. Yes, as a leader I can see where it could be detrimental to the team. When a coach takes a particular liking to specific players, it can come off as favoritism and break up a locker-room.
That’s not the case as a coordinator. Del Rio can be a players’ coach freely, because he is now allowed to let someone else take the heat for minor failures. It’s the head coach’s job to keep his cool and make rational, unemotional decisions. Play callers need to be able to focus on the flow of the game, something Del Rio did even as a head coach.
If the Broncos do indeed decide to bring Jack Del Rio on board, it won’t be a popular move. You will hear Jaguars fans saying he’s a terrible coach, and you’ll see sceptical Broncos fans pointing out Del Rio’s sub .500 record as an NFL head coach. None of that matters. The fact is that Del Rio’s defenses are nearly always at the top of the league when he’s had good players to work with. He may not have been a great head coach, but he is a great defensive coach. Popular or not, I would be shocked if Del Rio doesn’t land in Denver. It’d be a great off-season move to improve an already great defense.
