Mike McCoy will return as Broncos offensive coordinator

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos are finalizing contract negotiations with Mike McCoy to make him their offensive coordinator again, sources tell 9NEWS.

McCoy was the Broncos’ offensive coordinator from 2009-12 before becoming the San Diego Chargers’ head coach from 2013-16.

It made sense that Broncos general manager John Elway and new head coach Vance Joseph set up McCoy’s interview Thursday and Bill Musgrave’s visit for the same job Friday.

McCoy had been the Broncos’ top choice to turn around their offense that was too often anemic in 2016. If he took the job Thursday, the Broncos didn’t have to waste Musgrave’s time with a trip in the next day.

The Broncos had to move quickly on Thursday because the Washington Redskins were interested in talking to McCoy after their 30-year-old offensive coordinator, Sean McVay, became the youngest head coach in NFL history when he took the job with the Los Angeles Rams.

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For McCoy — who no doubt would like another crack as an NFL head coach, this time with a more stable organization than the Chargers — part of his decision may have been the quarterback duo of Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch with the Broncos or Kirk Cousins with Washington.

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Siemian just had a pretty good season as a first-year starter for the Broncos, throwing for 3,401 yards and 18 touchdowns against 10 interceptions while posting an 8-6 record.

Lynch, a first-round rookie, is bigger, stronger and more athletic than Siemian, but those skills are also raw for the NFL level.

Cousins is a fifth-year quarterback and 2½-year starter who threw for 4,917 yards and 25 touchdowns this season.

Or the decision could have come down to money, the city of Denver with its occasional weather swings compared to our nation’s capital, or more control of the offense here than in Washington where head coach Jay Gruden is an offensive coordinator at heart.

McVay has hired Wade Phillips as his defensive coordinator with the Rams.

Phillips had been the defensive coordinator of the terrific Denver defense the past two years. Phillips’ defense was the primary reason why the Broncos won Super Bowl 50 to cap the 2015 season. But the team let his two-year contract elapse after this season with plans of replacing him by promoting either defensive backs coach Joe Woods or linebackers coach Reggie Herring to defensive coordinator.

Woods is considered the favorite.

The Broncos may have several defensive coaches who are loyal to Phillips, but they are not expected to leave as they are all have one more year left on their contracts.

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The Broncos’ offense, however, is another matter. The West Coast-oriented offense coached by Gary Kubiak and Rick Dennison reached a 50-year low in December when the Broncos failed to score more than 10 points in three consecutive games, all losses.

It was the first time since 1966 the Broncos endured such a three-game scoring skid.

Had the Broncos gone with Musgrave, the team could have at least kept their old playbook. Musgrave, who was instrumental in furthering the development of quarterback Derek Carr the past two seasons as the Oakland Raiders’ offensive coordinator, is steeped in the West Coast offense.

McCoy can coach any system — from the Tim Tebow read-option in 2011 to Josh McDaniels/Peyton Manning hybrid in 2012 — but it’s the latter he figures to install with the Broncos.

McCoy left the Broncos in 2013 to take the Chargers’ head job, and in his first season he improved the team from 7-9 to 9-7. They were 9-7 again in 2014, but in the past two years McCoy experienced rotten luck with injuries to key starters and the distraction of the franchise’s impending move to Los Angeles.

The Chargers were 4-12 and 5-11 the past two years, but through it all, quarterback Philip Rivers consistently put up gaudy passing statistics. In his four years with McCoy, Rivers averaged 4,486 passing yards, 31 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

With McCoy back as offensive coordinator, the focus will be on his coaching assistants. The Broncos are not expected to retain Dennison or tight ends coach Brian Pariani, who were long-time assistants for Kubiak, who retired on Jan. 2. The team and offensive line coach Clancy Barone mutually decided to part ways Thursday night.

The Broncos have received permission from Joseph’s former Miami Dolphins team to interview assistant offensive line coach Jeremiah Washburn. Broncos running backs coach Eric Studesville interviewed Tuesday for the New York Jets’ offensive coordinator position.

Studesville just finished his 20th season as an NFL running backs coach. While he served as the Broncos’ interim head coach for the final four games in place of the fired McDaniels in 2010, he has never been a coordinator.

If Studesville doesn’t get the Jets’ job, the Broncos would like him back as running backs coach.

Mike Klis writes for KUSA 9NEWS, a TEGNA affiliate.