Fired Coach Returns to Denver, Builds NFL's Best Defense

Five years after the Denver Broncos fired him as head coach, Vance Joseph walked back into the building that had shown him the door. This time, he brought a plan that would transform the team into Super Bowl contenders.

Joseph's first run in Denver ended painfully. As head coach from 2017 to 2018, his teams went 11-21, including a franchise-worst eight-game losing streak. The organization let him go after two disappointing seasons.

Most people would never return to a place that fired them. Joseph saw it differently. When new head coach Sean Payton called in February 2023 asking him to become defensive coordinator, Joseph didn't hesitate.

"I wasn't afraid of it," Joseph said. "I want to prove I could get this done. It's not common, maybe, but it was a no-brainer."

Joseph followed the path of his mentor Wade Phillips, who also returned to Denver after being fired as head coach and helped the team win Super Bowl 50. Phillips told Joseph to "follow my path" when navigating the unconventional move.

The decision looks brilliant now. Joseph built one of the NFL's most feared defenses, leading the league with 68 sacks and holding opponents to touchdowns on just 42.6% of red zone drives. The Broncos finished 14-3 and earned the AFC's top seed.

Between his two Denver stints, Joseph never stopped working. He became Arizona's defensive coordinator just 11 days after the Broncos fired him. He spent four years with the Cardinals, learning and growing before Payton's call came.

Gary Kubiak, who hired Joseph in Houston in 2011, watched his former assistant coach navigate the ups and downs. "You got to get battle-tested in this business to be successful," Kubiak said. "A lot of guys go do something else after that. [Joseph] went right back to being a coordinator then he went right back to the Broncos."

Why This Inspires

Joseph's comeback shows that failure doesn't define you. He could have avoided Denver and protected his ego. Instead, he returned to the exact place where things went wrong and proved he belonged.

His defensive players have responded to his confidence and preparation. Opposing quarterbacks posted the third-lowest QBR against Denver this season. The defense celebrates each other's success and plays with the kind of toughness that reflects their coordinator's resilience.

Six NFL teams requested interviews with Joseph for head coaching positions last week. His phone is ringing again, but this time for all the right reasons.

The Broncos face the Buffalo Bills in Saturday's divisional playoff game with their best championship chance in a decade. Joseph and his dominant defense will lead the way, proving that sometimes the best path forward means returning to where you stumbled.