Broncos DC Evero Lauds Jim Harbaugh: 'Heck of a Coach'
Ejiro Evero spent four seasons working alongside Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco, long enough for the Denver Broncos' rookie defensive coordinator to form a glowing assessment of the team's next potential head coach.
And, perhaps, a sales pitch to upper management.
"I really enjoyed my time with him," Evero told reporters Thursday. "He's a player's coach, he's a coach's coach. I think the thing about him — he's going to impress change on people. Wherever he goes, he's going to affect change. I don't know if everyone will always like it, but that's his personality. I just think he's a heck of a coach. I really enjoyed my time working with him, and he does a good job."
These days, Evero — who started with the 49ers as a quality control coach — is running his own show, a top-10 defense in third down percentage (2nd), red zone percentage (T-4th), yards per play (5th), interceptions (T-6th), net yards per game (7th), and points allowed per game (10th).
The soft-spoken 42-year-old has ascended from a relative unknown assistant to one of the NFL's hottest coaching candidates. Evero is likely to garner league-wide HC interest this offseason, a would-be promotion he's ready for after declining Denver's interim vacancy.
"As ready as you could be," he offered. "I don’t know if anybody is ever ready to be a head coach in the NFL. Got to figure it out. Same as being a DC. I don’t know if you’re ever ready until you do it. That’s just the honest truth.”
Denver will begin its initial round of interviews within the next week, following Sunday's 2022 finale against Los Angeles. The club reportedly "reached out" to Harbaugh, who tentatively anticipates remaining at Michigan, and is expected to speak with Evero — among several others — about the prospect of becoming the 19th head man in franchise history.
“I’m 100 percent invested in finishing the year off and then take those things as they come," Evero said. "I do want to be a head coach but the timing is not in my control and I’ll just do what my job is now which is a defensive coordinator.”
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