# Vance Joseph — Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator

Defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos. Joseph has been with Denver since 2023 and led one of the NFL's elite defenses to help the Broncos win Super Bowl LIX following the 2025 season.

## Quick Facts

- **Role:** Defensive Coordinator
- **Team:** Denver Broncos (DEN)
- **Tenure:** Since 2023 (third year in 2026)
- **Prior head-coaching experience:** 2017-2018 Denver Broncos
- **Coaching tree:** see Coaching Trees

## Background

Joseph returned to Denver in 2023 after prior stint as the team's interim head coach (2017-2018). His defensive system is known for exotic blitz packages and aggressive coverage schemes. He has 28+ years of coaching experience across the NFL and has previously held defensive coordinator roles with the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals.

## Scheme and Tendencies

Joseph's defenses rely on heavy blitz schemes and complex coverage packages, requiring excellent communication and coordination in the secondary. The 2025 Broncos defense ranked first in yards allowed (278.2 per game), second in various categories, and led the league with 68 sacks. Joseph hired Robert Livingston as defensive passing game coordinator in February 2026, bringing continuity from their time together with the Bengals (2016-2023). The unit finished 14-3 in 2025 and won the Super Bowl, indicating elite execution of Joseph's scheme. Fantasy implications: aggressive defensive scheme creates high turnover potential (sacks, deflections) but also carries risk of coverage breakdowns against elite passing attacks.

## Recent News

- 2026-06-11 — Vance Joseph focused on Broncos’ 2026 season after missing out in recent hiring cycle (Vance Joseph focused on Broncos’ 2026 season after missing out in recent hiring cycle)
- 2026-03-30 — Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles bemoans lack of Black head coaches in the NFL (Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles bemoans lack of Black head coaches in the NFL)
- 2026-03-12 — Sean Payton’s Broncos Finalize 2026 Coaching Staff With Interesting Addition (Sean Payton’s Broncos Finalize 2026 Coaching Staff With Interesting Addition)

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Source: https://chatffb.com/coaches/defensive-coordinators/denver-broncos-defensive-coordinator · ChatFFB — fantasy football answers updated from a live news wiki.