Broncos Announce Hiring of New DC Ejiro Evero, STC Dwayne Stukes, DL Coach Marcus Dixon
With the Super Bowl in the books, the Denver Broncos finally were permitted to put the final touches on head coach Nathaniel Hackett's staff. And so they did.
On Thursday, the Broncos announced the hiring of new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes, and defensive line coach Marcus Dixon — all defections from the NFL-champion Los Angeles Rams.
This will be the first big-league coordinating job for Evero, 41, who spent the 2021 campaign as Los Angeles' defensive backs coach, spearheading a secondary led by perennial Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The unit tied for third in interceptions (19) during the regular season and ranked third in passing (222.0 yards per game) amid the playoffs.
Evero replaces former Broncos DC Ed Donatell, whom Hackett chose not to retain upon his January hiring. Donatell has since accepted the same position with the Minnesota Vikings.
Stukes, meanwhile, is succeeding Tom McMahon after spending just one season in L.A. The 45-year-old, an assistant to coordinator Joe DeCamillis, helped oversee the league's fourth-best special teams ensemble, per Football Outsiders' DVOA ratings. (Denver ranked 30th under McMahon in 2021.)
According to StatMuse, the Rams allowed the fewest punt-return yards (60) to opponents while finishing sixth in punt-return average (11.3 yards per game). The club also boasted the second-most accurate kicker, Matt Gay, who connected on 94.1% of field goal attempts, and the fifth-placed punter, Johnny Hekker, in net average per game (42.6).
Previously, Stukes held coaching titles in Jacksonville (defensive assistant), New York (assistant STC), Chicago (assistant STC), and Tampa Bay (special teams quality control coach, assistant DBs coach, STC). As a former player, he had cups of coffee in the NFL, NFL Europe, and the Arena Football League.
Dixon, 37, is also coming off a one-and-done stint with the Rams. Alongside primary line coach Eric Henderson, the duo coaxed 22 regular-season sacks from their elite front-seven, none more productive than All-World superstar Aaron Donald (12.5 sacks). The likes of Greg Gaines (4.5), Sebastian Joseph-Day (3), and A'Shawn Robinson (2) flourished on Henderson and Dixon's watch, as well.
The Rams' defensive front, which ranked sixth against the run, held the Cincinnati Bengals to 79 scoreless rushing yards en route to its second-ever Lombardi Trophy. Donald (two sacks, three quarterback hits) and Robinson (one sack, one hit) battered Bengals QB Joe Burrow throughout the 23-20 victory at SoFi Stadium.
Dixon will take over for longtime Denver DL czar Bill Kollar, a relic from the Vic Fangio regime who's shifted to a consultant role under rookie head man Hackett.
Below is a snapshot of the 2022 Broncos coaching staff.
- Head coach: Nathaniel Hackett
- Offensive coordinator: Justin Outten
- Special teams coordinator: Dwayne Stukes
- Assistant STC: Mike Mallory
- Quarterbacks/passing game coordinator: Klint Kubiak
- Running backs: Tyrone Wheatley
- Wide receivers: Zach Azzanni
- Tight ends: Jake Moreland
- Offensive line: Butch Barry
- Assistant OL: Ben Steele
- Defensive line: Marcus Dixon
- DL consultant: Bill Kollar
- Linebackers: Peter Hansen
- Outside linebackers: Bert Watts
- Defensive backs: Christian Parker
- Assistant DBs: Ola Adams
- Senior defensive assistant: Dom Capers
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