The Denver Broncos are widely expected to part ways with head coach Vic Fangio and begin a coaching search this week, multiple league sources said, with several indicating Cowboys coordinator Dan Quinn will quickly emerge as a top candidate there.
Fangio is completing his third season in Denver, and has a 19-29 record. His tenure has been rocky at times, with his serious differences with offensive staff putting his position in jeopardy previously under former management. The Broncos hired highly regarded executive George Paton from the Vikings a year ago to take over as general manager -- with John Elway transitioning to another role -- with Paton taking 2021 to review all aspects of the organization, including coaching.
Fangio, a longtime defensive coordinator who did not garner head coaching attention until late in his career, will miss the postseason for a third straight season, and he has never had a season at or above .500. The team will be searching for a new quarterback next season as well and could very well have a new owner by the summer, with the Broncos' sale pegged to be expedited by the NFL in the coming months, league sources said.
Quinn, who reached the Super Bowl as head coach of the Falcons, has done great work in his first season running the Cowboys defense, and his demeanor and personality would be a significant change from Fangio, who is more gruff and old-school. Quinn's style of communication is quite different, and he is expected to garner heavy interest in a multitude of searches. He will not be taking part in the Jaguars head coaching search, according to sources, but is held in very high regard in Seattle, where he was a top assistant under Pete Carroll, should the Seahawks opt to make a change.
Fangio is on the wish list of several head coaching candidates, and he has thrived calling plays on that side of the ball, even in years in which his units were short on talent.
