As of Tuesday night, word was circulating that the Broncos could make a decision as to their next head coach as soon as Wednesday. They quite possibly have.
Mike Klis of 9News.com reports that 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans has emerged as “a top candidate” for the job.
There’s a huge difference between “a top candidate” and “the top candidate.” Ryans and former Stanford coach David Shaw were the two primary names we heard earlier in the week.
Klis writes that “Broncos’ Chief Executive Officer and owner Greg Penner has spent the last few days regrouping with the other involved owners — Carrie Penner, Rob Walton and Condoleezza Rice–as well as General Manager George Paton.”
If they did indeed make a decision on Wednesday, and if they have decided on Ryans, nothing can happen until after the 49ers’ season ends. That could happen as soon as Sunday, obviously. If San Francisco wins at Philadelphia, Ryans won’t be available until after the Super Bowl.
Klis, who identified Shaw as a “sleeper” last week, omits Shaw when listing the other candidates who “remain in the mix”: Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, former Saints coach Sean Payton, and former Lions and Colts head coach Jim Caldwell.
Ryans would be the fourth straight Broncos coach with no head-coaching experience. Maybe, after whiffing on three in a row, the Broncos are due to hire a coordinator who becomes a great head coach.