Former Denver Broncos Head Coach Returning To Coaching Staff: Report

The Denver Broncos are reportedly hiring Vance Joseph, who had previously worked as the team's head coach, as their new defensive coordinator, sources with knowledge of the situation told NFL Network's Peter Schrager on Thursday (February 23).

"The Denver Broncos are hiring Vance Joseph as their Defensive Coordinator, per source," Schrager tweeted.

Joseph had coached the Broncos during the 2017 and 2018 seasons before being fired by then-general manager and Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway following a 6-10 start, which coincided with Denver missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year since winning Super Bowl 50. The 50-year-old spent the past two seasons working as the Arizona Cardinals' defensive coordinator and had previously held the same position with the Miami Dolphins in 2016.

Joseph was reported to be among several candidates for the Broncos' defensive coordinator position, along with former Buffalo Bills and New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan, Seattle Seahawks associate head coach Sean Desai and current Broncos defensive backs coach Christian Parker, ESPN reports.

Joseph joins Wade Phillips -- who he previously worked alongside on the Houston Texans' staff from 2011-13 -- as the only other former Broncos head coach to return to the franchise as a coordinator, with Phillips having previously served as head coach in 1993 and 1994 and later working as the team's defensive coordinator during its Super Bowl run in 2015.