SAINTS vs. BRONCOS CONNECTIONS
Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen served as defensive coordinator in Denver in 2011 when the Broncos won the AFC West division title and advanced to the AFC Divisional round. Von Miller was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Denver Head Coach Sean Payton served as head coach of the Saints from 2006-21, leading the team to a regular season record of 152-89 and playoff mark of 9-8, including capturing the Super Bowl XLIV championship.
Payton is the winningest head coach in Saints history. Allen served on Payton’s staff from 2006-10 and 2015-21, spending the last six and a half seasons as his defensive coordinator.
New Orleans Tight Ends Coach Clancy Barone coached Denver’s tight ends (2009, 2011-14) and offensive line (2010, 2015-16).
Saints Offensive Line Coach John Benton, a Durango, Colo. native, was a four-year starter at Colorado State (1983-86) and served as an assistant at his alma mater from 1987-90 and 1995-2003.
Saints Senior Offensive Assistant Rick Dennison attended Rocky Mountain (Fort Collins, Colo.) HS, lettered at Colorado State (1976, 1978-79), and played linebacker and special teams for the Broncos (1982-90), appearing in 128 games with 52 starts and recording 514 tackles, 6.5 sacks, four interceptions, six forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.
Dennison participated in three Super Bowls as a player and was the Broncos’ 1989 Ed Block Courage Award recipient. He served on Denver’s coaching staff from 1995-2009 and 2015-16, coaching special teams, the offensive line, and serving as offensive coordinator for four seasons.
Saints Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak prepped at Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.) HS and played safety at Colorado State from 2002-05, serving as a team captain as a senior.
Kubiak was an offensive assistant/quarterbacks coach for the Broncos from 2016-18 and served as offensive passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2022.
Saints fullback Adam Prentice spent his first three college seasons at Colorado State.
New Orleans tight end Taysom Hill prepped at Highland (Pocatello, Idaho) HS and started 33 of 37 games in five seasons at Brigham Young. Saints running back Jamaal Williams was a teammate of Hill at BYU.
New Orleans Defensive Assistant Matt Giordano and Denver Running Backs Coach Lou Ayeni were teammates with the Indianapolis Colts in 2005.
Denver Assistant Special Teams Coach Chris Banjo played for New Orleans from 2016-18.
New Orleans guard/center Lucas Patrick and Banjo were teammates in Green Bay in 2016.
Broncos Defensive Line Coach Jamar Cain served as LSU’s run game coordinator and defensive line coach in 2022.
Broncos Vice President of Player Personnel Cody Rager served in the New Orleans player personnel department from 2015-24.
New Orleans Defensive Coordinator Joe Woods spent four seasons in Denver (2015-18) as defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator.
New Orleans Secondary Coach Marcus Robertson served as Broncos defensive backs coach from 2017-18.
Broncos Senior Offensive Assistant Pete Carmichael served on the Saints coaching staff from 2006-23, including as offensive coordinator from 2009-23.
Denver Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Dan Dalrymple held the same position for New Orleans from 2006-21.
Broncos Tight Ends Coach Declan Doyle was an offensive assistant in New Orleans from 2019-22.
Denver Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph prepped at Archbishop Shaw (Marrero, La.) HS.
Joseph and New Orleans Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi served on the same Miami Dolphins staff in 2016.
Robertson and Woods served on Joseph’s staff when he was Denver’s head coach from 2017-18.
Robertson and Joseph also served on the same Arizona Cardinals defensive coaching staff from 2019-22.
Denver Offensive Quality Control Coach Logan Kilgore went to training camp with the Saints in 2014 and served as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for Isidore Newman (New Orleans, La.) HS in 2022.
Patrick was tutored by Broncos Assistant Offensive Line Coach Austin King in Chicago in 2022, where King and Saints Quarterbacks Coach Andrew Janocko served on the same offensive coaching staff.
Broncos Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach Jim Leonhard went to training camp with the Saints in 2013.
Broncos Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi served on the New Orleans staff from 2007-13 and from 2015-20.
Broncos Outside Linebackers Coach Michael Wilhoite was a defensive assistant in New Orleans from 2019-20.
New Orleans Running Backs Coach Derrick Foster served on the same Los Angeles Chargers coaching staff with Wilhoite, Lombardi, and Broncos Defensive Quality Control Coach Isaac Shewmaker from 2021-22.
Denver Pass Game Coordinator John Morton served on New Orleans coaching staffs in 2006 and from 2015-16.
Denver Offensive Line Coach Zach Strief played tackle for New Orleans from 2006-17, served as the team’s radio play-by-play voice from 2018-20, and on their coaching staff from 2021-22.
Broncos Offensive Quality Control Assistant Favian Upshaw served on Tulane’s staff from 2018-19 and 2022.
Denver Senior Defensive Assistant Joe Vitt was Saints assistant head coach/linebackers coach from 2006-16 and interim head coach for 10 contests in 2012.
Saints Senior Defensive Assistant Peter Giunta and Vitt served on the same Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff from 2001-03.
New Orleans center Connor McGovern was a fifth-round draft pick of the Broncos in 2016 and played for Denver from 2016-19.
New Orleans Defensive Tackle Nathan Shepherd and Denver Quarterbacks Coach Davis Webb were teammates with the New York Jets in 2018.
McGovern and Shepherd played with Denver defensive end John Franklin-Myers and quarterback Zach Wilson with the Jets.
Denver Assistant Head Coach Mike Westhoff supervised New Orleans’ special teams from 2017-18.
Westhoff worked with Saints linebacker Demario Davis on special teams as a rookie with the New York Jets in 2012.
New Orleans quarterback Spencer Rattler, Denver linebacker Nik Bonitto, and wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. were college teammates at Oklahoma.
Denver fullback Michael Burton played for New Orleans in 2020 and was a teammate of Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu, linebacker Willie Gay Jr., and defensive tackle Khalen Saunders in Kansas City.
Saints defensive end Chase Young and linebacker Pete Werner played with Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper at Ohio State.
Denver defensive tackle Jordan Jackson was a sixth-round pick of the Saints in 2022 and spent his rookie season on the team’s practice squad.
Denver wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey signed with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and played for the Saints from 2019-21.
Denver tight end Lucas Krull signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and spent his rookie season with the team.
Broncos kicker Wil Lutz signed with New Orleans at the end of the 2016 preseason, played for the Saints from 2016-22, and is ranked second in club records in scoring (781) and field goals (286).
Denver defensive tackle Malcolm Roach prepped at Madison (Baton Rouge, La.) and played for New Orleans from 2020-23.
New Orleans quarterback Derek Carr, safety Johnathan Abram, and tight end Foster Moreau played with Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham in Las Vegas in 2022.
Denver cornerback Patrick Surtain II’s father, Patrick Surtain, was a standout at Edna Karr (New Orleans, La.) HS.
New Orleans longsnapper Zach Wood and Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton were college teammates at SMU.
Broncos tight end Adam Trautman was a third-round draft pick of the Saints in 2020 and played three seasons for New Orleans.
Rattler played with Denver tight end Nate Adkins at South Carolina in 2022.
Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine prepped at Spanish Fort (Ala.) HS.
Denver linebacker Jonah Elliss is the younger brother of former Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss.
