One bad start doesn’t define your entire career, and Vance Joseph is all ready to prove that. Despite recording losing seasons with the Broncos and losing his job as head coach, Joseph is ready for another run at the opportunity.
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“I’ve been a head coach before. So you can’t say that I wasn’t qualified,” Vance Joseph told Andscape. “It didn’t last, but I’m qualified, and I’m ready for it. And you know, whoever gives me the chance, they’re going to hire a very good coach.
“But it takes so much to win in this league outside of being a great coach. It takes players, it takes ownership, takes a GM, right? That’s the right city. And sometimes, it takes time to find that right fit. Well, if it’s just based on merit, it should happen again.”
Joseph’s 2017-2018 stint as the Broncos’ head coach was his first and only so far in that role. He failed catastrophically, going 5-11 and 6-10 in those years. The two losing seasons were Denver’s first back-to-back since 1971-72, and at least 10 losses for the first time since 1966-67.
In 2023, Joseph’s first season back with Denver-this time as defensive coordinator-was not up to the mark, infamously giving up 70 points against the Miami Dolphins. The Broncos defense was also among the league’s worst. But Joseph improved the defense over the next two seasons, with Denver making the playoffs in both years. In 2025, the Broncos had the third-fewest points allowed and the second-best total defense in the NFL.
Last year, the Broncos topped the sack charts with 68. Under Vance Joseph, Nik Bonitto earned a Pro Bowl nod and a second-team All-Pro honor, while Jonathan Cooper had a career-best 10.5 sacks in 2024.
Should the positive run continue for Johnson, there could be a team that considers him as a potential head coach. He also has advice from Broncos head coach Sean Payton, who told him to be “particular about choosing a head coaching job,” and that the team infrastructure should be strong enough “to give you a chance,” per ESPN.
“If it happens, I’ll be happy,” Johnson said earlier this year. “If it doesn’t, I have a good job. I have good players. I’m in a great city. So, I have no worries.”
In 2026, he interviewed for head-coaching jobs with the Cardinals, Ravens, and Titans, all while the Denver Broncos were still in the midst of their season. These interviews show that teams still see him as a serious candidate despite his earlier struggles as Denver’s head coach.