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Report: Broncos to Hire John Pagano to Serve as OLBs Coach
After Brandon Staley accepted the defensive coordinator position with the Los Angeles Rams, the Denver Broncos were left with a void at OLBs Coach. The team has kept its eye out for the right coach to step in and work with the likes of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb.
According to Ryan O'Halloran of the Denver Post, the Broncos interviewed John Pagano on Thursday for the job of coaching the outside linebackers. And we learned on Friday that indeed, the Broncos will hire him, per 9NEWS' Mike Klis.
Pagano has coached in the NFL since 1996 and is the brother of Chicago Bears DC Chuck Pagano. The Pagano brothers hail from Boulder, CO, where John went to Fairview High School.
John worked with Vic Fangio from 1999-2001 when Fangio was the Indianapolis Colts' DC and John was a defensive assistant. Pagano's most recent coaching stop was with the Houston Texans where he coached outside linebackers. But for the previous six years, he served as a defensive coordinator in the AFC West, both with the L.A. Chargers and Oakland Raiders.
The Broncos are well-acquainted with Pagano's Xs and Os acumen but his coaching specialty is with OLBs. In conjunction with the Broncos' recent coaching hires on the offensive side of the ball — OC Pat Shurmur and QBs Mike Shula — it would be a real coup to add another assistant of Pagano's experience and expertise.
Pagano is 52 years old and it's unclear why he and the Texans could be cruising for a split. But the life for coaches in the NFL is a transient one.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
