Will Harris (Coach)

AFC West Coaching Updates: Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers

The Broncos announced several additions to their coaching staff today as they attempt to round out Sean Payton‘s first coaching staff in Denver. While we’ve already covered most of the offensive additions, the defensive announcements were new to report.

Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is adding some NFL and college experience to the staff. The team reportedly lured veteran NFL defensive coach Joe Vitt out of retirement to join the Broncos as a senior defensive assistant. On the other end of the spectrum, Denver hired veteran college assistant Jamar Cain as its new pass rush specialist. Cain spent last year as LSU’s defensive run game coordinator/defensive line coach.

Lastly on the defensive side, the Broncos hired Isaac Shewmaker and Addison Lynch as defensive quality control coaches. The only offensive announcement we had yet to cover was another new quality control coach, Favian Upshaw.

Here are some other coaching updates from around the AFC West, starting with the defending Super Bowl champions:

  • The Chiefs‘ offensive staff lost some talent in the offseason after another extremely successful campaign, necessitating some updates to the coaching staff. Joe Bleymaier was promoted from wide receivers coach to the title of pass game coordinator. Replacing him at wide receivers coach will be former offensive quality control coach Connor Embree, a large step up. Todd Pinkston joins the team to coach running backs after formerly serving as the wide receivers coach at Austin Peay. Former offensive quality control coach Porter Ellett will join him as assistant running backs coach. Dan Williams, formerly an offensive assistant, has taken one of the offensive quality control positions along with the added title of assistant quarterbacks coach. Filling his old offensive assistant role will be Kevin Saxton, who formerly served as the co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Benedict College.
  • The Chargers also went to the college ranks to make a coaching addition, according to Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports. Los Angeles hired former Georgia Southern defensive coordinator Will Harris to serve as assistant secondary coach in 2023. Before his time as a coordinator, Harris had coached a slew of talented future NFL players as the defensive backs coach at the University of Washington.