ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) - Denver Broncos coach Vance Joseph filled the last major vacancy on his coaching staff Monday by hiring Brock Olivo as his special teams coordinator.
Olivo, 40, spent the last three seasons as special teams assistant to Dave Toub in Kansas City.
Toub was one of three candidates that interviewed for the Broncos’ head coaching vacancy after Gary Kubiak stepped down. Although the job went to Joseph, the Broncos were impressed enough by Toub to hire away Toub’s top lieutenant.
Olivo spent four seasons as a key special teams player for the Detroit Lions following his standout career at Missouri, where Toub was the Tigers’ strength and conditioning coach.
“Being a former player who was primarily a special teams player, Brock understands the mindset, work ethic and importance of this phase of the game,” Joseph said. “Working under Dave Toub in Kansas City, Brock learned from a special coach and has the right experiences as the No. 2 guy that have prepared him to be the coordinator.”
Olivo replaces Joe DeCamillis, who left to serve as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ special teams coordinator.
In Denver, Olivo inherits a young core that includes kicker Brandon McManus, punter Riley Dixon and returner Kalif Raymond, who excelled down the stretch after being promoted from the practice squad.
McManus is a three-year veteran who set an NFL record by making all 10 of his kicks in the playoffs last year when the Broncos won the Super Bowl. He made 29 of 34 field goals in 2016.
Dixon averaged 45.7 yards on a whopping 89 punts and posted the highest net punting average (41.3) among rookies in NFL history.
Raymond averaged 10.1 yards on 11 punt returns and 22.8 yards on six kickoff returns down the stretch.
Notes: With Antonio Brown pulling out of the Pro Bowl, Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas was named as his replacement. Thomas joins former safety Steve Atwater and Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe as the only Broncos with five consecutive Pro Bowl selections. The Broncos will have six Pro Bowlers: Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr., Aqib Talib and Darian Stewart.
___
For more NFL coverage: https://www.pro32.ap.org and https://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL
___
Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arniestapleton
Please read our comment policy before commenting.