The Denver Broncos have announced the hiring of Darren Rizzi as special teams coordinator and assistant head coach, according to team officials on Friday.
Rizzi, a 10-year NFL veteran, has served as the special teams coordinator for the New Orleans Saints since 2017. Prior to joining the Saints, he spent 11 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. In addition to his experience in special teams, Rizzi also served as an assistant coach under Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton during his time with the Saints.
The Broncos made several coaching changes over the offseason, including the hiring of Kellen Moore as their new head coach. To fill open positions on the staff, Payton worked to identify and hire suitable candidates. Rizzi’s appointment comes after the team parted ways with special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica following a loss to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round.
Rizzi is tasked with addressing two high-profile mistakes made by the Broncos’ special teams units this season. The first came in a 16-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, where a blocked field goal helped preserve the Chiefs’ win. The second occurred in a 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, where a fair-catch interference penalty allowed the Chargers to gain momentum in the game.
Source: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/43847898/broncos-hire-saints-interim-darren-rizzi-st