Report: Broncos Lose 'Well Regarded' Coach to Miami Hurricanes

"A huge shot" for the now-former Denver assistant.

Georgia Southern running back coach Favian Upshaw works with players during a drill. Upshaw was a quarterback for the Eagles and MVP of the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl. | Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The Denver Broncos have a new opening on Sean Payton's staff as offensive quality-control coach Favian Upshaw has departed for a job with the University of Miami, the Denver Post's Luca Evans reported Thursday.

Upshaw will become the Hurricanes' new running backs coach ahead of the 2026 season.

"Upshaw is a well-regarded young coach in Denver's building," Evans noted. "Has been working under Lou Ayeni with RBs for 3 years. Gets a huge shot."

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A former collegiate quarterback, Upshaw was brought aboard by Payton when the latter took the Broncos' head-coaching position in 2023. He helped assist RBs coach Lou Ayeni and was specifically credited for aiding in the development of undrafted free-agent runner Jaleel McLaughlin.

"In Upshaw's first two seasons with the Broncos, he helped oversee the development of undrafted running back Jaleel McLaughlin, who recorded 189 rushing attempts for 906 yards (4.8 avg.) with two touchdowns along with 55 receptions for 236 yards (4.3 avg.) with four scores," reads his official team bio. "Among Broncos undrafted running backs in their first two seasons, McLaughlin ranks second in receptions (55), third in rushing yards (906) and fourth in scrimmage yards (1,142)."

Last season, the Broncos ranked 16th in rushing offense after losing leading rusher J.K. Dobbins to injury at around the midway mark. McLaughlin finished third on the club (behind Dobbins and RJ Harvey) with 187 ground yards and one touchdown, averaging the highest yards-per-carry mark (5.1) among all Denver RBs.

Jan 17, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin (38) runs during the third quarter of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Buffalo Bills at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Turnover Continues

This offseason has been a continuous game of musical chairs for Payton, who's either fired several assistants (Joe Lombardi, Keary Colbert, Addison Lynch) or watched others leave for greener pastures (Jim Leonhard, Pete Carmichael, Upshaw).

Payton has largely solved this issue from within, elevating several in-house coaches (Davis Webb, Logan Kilgore) to more prominent roles while selectively importing outside helpers (Robert Livingston, Kyle Kempt).

To his surprise, the one assistant Payton managed to retain was defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who again interviewed for NFL head-coaching gigs — and again was passed over.

“I love that he’s back. I am a little surprised with the season we had, as well as we played defensively and with 10 openings," Payton told reporters Tuesday. "He and I get a chance to talk about that kind of stuff as the season was wearing down. I know he felt like he had a handful of interviews that were productive, and which he felt were really good opportunities. I know that when that opportunity comes for him, he’ll be successful. He has a presence about him. You guys have been around him. I think one of his superpowers is his calming presence. He pulls the best out of his players that play for him. It’s hard to tell. There are 32 of these teams that are owned individually. Every one is different. And yet, a lot of them have trouble getting out of their own way.”