Sean Payton’s coaching tree grew another branch this winter.
Not only did Aaron Glenn, a former defensive back and assistant coach for Payton, land the New York Jets’ head coaching job, but he did so after a terrific run as the defensive coordinator in Detroit. There, he coached for head man Dan Campbell, himself a Payton disciple.
“I spoke to him the night before he took that job, and I could feel his excitement,” the Broncos head coach said earlier this year. “I go all the way back when he was a player for us in Dallas, and then had the chance to hire him. He was a scout, I think, when we hired him and he first got into coaching. He was one of the best — I’ve been fortunate enough to have a lot of great assistants work for me, and Aaron was right there at the top.”
Glenn and Campbell represent the only Payton proteges who are head coaches in the NFL this year, and there’s a growing set of coordinators around the league, too. Take Chicago, which will feature Dennis Allen — fired as New Orleans’ head coach last year — as defensive coordinator and 28-year-old former Broncos tight end coach Declan Doyle as offensive coordinator for Ben Johnson.
“I counted on Declan Doyle for another three years at least,” Payton said recently. “At least until he starts shaving. But you’re happy for him.”
Tight Ends Coach Declan Doyle works a drill with Denver Broncos tight end Tommy Hudson (87) during the Denver Broncos training camp at Centura Health Training Center on Aug. 8, 2023 in Centennial. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
Campbell hired John Morton as offensive coordinator, and Glenn hired Chris Banjo as his special teams coordinator. The wheel keeps spinning.
And yet, Payton believes he’s got considerable talent on his 2025 Broncos coaching staff and several coaches who may one day stand in front of their own teams in the NFL.
“Sometimes it would be the presence in front of a room when they present their knowledge and work ethic,” Payton said of identifying head coaching traits in assistants. “It’s hard to predict. And I would say it’s not just offense, defense or special teams. Future head coaches can come from any one of those areas. … There’s a communication skillset. There are a number of things that give them a chance. And ultimately, you’ve got to be in a place where you’re winning.
“If you’re in a program where you’re having success, generally, your coaches are going to get taken from that program.”
Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph got interviews this past winter, and if Denver’s defense lives up to expectations this fall, he should be in demand once again. Younger coaches like quarterbacks coach Davis Webb, secondary coach Jim Leonhard and offensive line coach Zach Strief all got coordinator titles this offseason — a reflection of the work Payton had to put in to keep them from exploring other opportunities around the league.
“This is an attractive spot, so you can win a lot of the jump balls if you’re competing against two different teams,” Payton said. “I think ownership has a lot to do with that. Stability has a lot to do with that. … (On) the procurement of those coaches, you rely on that and then the interview. You do a lot of research.
“It’s easy to hire a coach. It’s not easy to hire an exceptional one.”
The Broncos’ corps of potential future head coaches has traveled all kinds of paths. Joseph got the Denver head coaching job but was fired after just two seasons. He’s going into his seventh as a defensive coordinator since then, four in Arizona and now three back in Denver.
One player who’s been on every one of those teams: Defensive tackle Zach Allen.
“The X’s and O’s, everybody knows he’s incredible at that,” Allen told The Denver Post. “But he’s a leader of men, and he’s really good at understanding each player and building a relationship with each player.
“But he’s not a softie. He holds us to a very high standard. If we’re not doing something right, those defensive meetings are tough. He coaches you hard, and he loves you hard, too. I think any player would love to have that.”
Webb jumped into coaching directly after playing, while Strief spent just two seasons between retiring from the Saints and getting into coaching offensive line with Payton in the Bayou.
Denver Broncos offensive line coach Zach Strief during camp at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit in Centennial on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
“For my sake, I hope he doesn’t leave,” swing tackle Alex Palczewski said of Strief. “… He wasn’t a top-10 pick where he just naturally had it. He was a seventh-round pick. He had to learn how to make it happen. … A big part of what he coaches is mental, putting yourself in the right state. It’s helped so much, and just the way he’s able to convey that, it’s unbelievable.”
Leonhard had a long playing career in the NFL, but coached seven years in college at Wisconsin before eventually landing in Denver after getting passed over for the head job at UW in 2022.
“You have to sometimes be willing to accept that they’re at the college level and they’re going to become this (in the future),” said Payton, speaking generally about coaches. He tried to hire Leonhard for his 2023 staff but ended up having to wait until 2024 as Leonhard took a year away from coaching and served as an analyst at Illinois.
“I’ve had a lot of success and been fortunate to have gotten a number of guys that went on to be really good NFL coaches.”
Payton’s NFL head coaching tree
It may not be robust, but Sean Payton’s coaching tree includes a pair of current head coaches, one of whom has turned the Detroit Lions into NFC contenders in short order. Mobile users, tap here to see the chart.
Name
Years with Payton
HC job (Years)
Record
Dan Campbell
2016-20
Detroit (2021-Pres.)
39-28-1
Aaron Glenn
2016-20
N.Y. Jets (2025-Pres.)
0-0
Dennis Allen
2006-10, 2015-21
Oakland (2012-14), New Orleans (2022-24)
26-53
Doug Marrone
2006-08
Buffalo (2013-14), Jacksonville (2017-20)
38-60
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