Report: Broncos have hired Ben Kotwica to be special teams coordinator and Mike Westhoff to be assistant head coach

The Broncos have their special teams coordinator.

According to multiple reports, the Denver Broncos have hired Ben Kotwica to be their special team’s coordinator. They have also reportedly hired veteran special teams coach Mike Westhoff to be the assistant head coach who will oversee the special teams unit as well.

Both Westhoff and Kotwica coached together while with the New York Jets when they were coached by Rex Ryan. Coincidentally, Ryan is considered the favorite for the Broncos’ defensive coordinator job and these two connections potentially strengthen that possibility.

Ben Kotwica has multiple years of special teams coaching experience under his belt. He started his NFL coaching career with the New York Jets in 2007 as a defense/special teams quality control coach. He held that role through 2008 before being promoted to assistant special teams coach for the Jets from 2009 through 2012. That is when he worked under Mike Westhoff who was the Jets’ longtime special teams coach. After 2012, Kotwica became the Jets’ special teams coordinator but only lasted for one year in that role. In 2014, Kotwica became the Washington Commanders special teams coach from 2014 through the 2018 season. After the 2018 season, Kotwica became the Atlanta Falcons’ special teams coach and held the job until 2020 when he was fired mid-season by the Falcons. He was then out of coaching until this past year when he joined the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff as the assistant special team’s coach. Now, he will lead the Broncos’ special teams unit under the guidance of Mike Westhoff.

As for Westhoff, he is a long-time special teams coach who is considered one of the best to ever do it. The 75-year-old coach started his NFL coaching career in 1982 with the Indianapolis Colts. From 2001 through 2012, he served as the New York Jets special teams coach. He was out of the league for five years before joining Sean Payton’s staff in New Orleans as their special team’s coordinator from 2017 through the 2018 season. He then retired from coaching until Payton convinced him to come out of retirement to serve as his assistant head coach who will oversee the special teams as well.

Sean Payton’s coaching staff is starting to fill out and I would expect him to name a defensive coordinator here rather soon. Rex Ryan is considered the favorite but former Broncos head coach Vance Joseph who was the Arizona Cardinals’ defensive coordinator is interviewing today in-person for the Broncos defensive coordinator job. So, we shall see how this all plays out.