The Broncos coaching staff lost a member Monday when defensive line coach Wayne Nunnely retired.
Nunnely had been with the Broncos for three seasons and spent the last 36 seasons as a coach in college or the NFL. He spent four years as the head coach of UNLV and was a defensive line coach for the Chargers from 1997-2008.
“It has been an absolute dream come true for me to coach for 36 years,” Nunnely said in a statement released by the team. “I am so thankful for all the opportunities I have been given to have a positive impact on others through the game of football. More than anything, I am proud of the accomplishments of the teams and players I have been so privileged to work with over the years.”
Nunnely said that he was retiring to spend more time with his family. The Broncos promoted defensive assistant Jay Rodgers to fill Nunnely’s role.
The Broncos defense took a big step forward last season and the defensive line played a major role in that. The Broncos added defensive tackle Derek Wolfe in the second round of the draft, a piece that Rodgers could use to make the group even better this season.