Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but Sean Payton’s Denver Broncos hired one of his old New Orleans Saints assistants. Joe Vitt exited retirement to join Payton in Denver, the team announced this week, listing him as a senior defensive assistant. Vitt previously coached linebackers under Payton for a decade in New Orleans but was dismissed along with a number of tenured assistants during the 2017 offseason. He also served as interim head coach when Payton was suspended for the 2012 campaign.
Vitt, 68, got his start as a coach on the Baltimore Colts back in 1979 and brings decades of experience to Denver. After leaving New Orleans, he worked as a consultant on the Miami Dolphins in 2017 and as an outside linebackers coach for the New York Jets in 2019 and 2020, hired in both stops by his son-in-law Adam Gase as head coach of each AFC East team. He was out of football in the years since. His son Joey Vitt, Jr. still works as an area scout for the Saints.
Payton has collected a lot of former Saints players and coaches on the Broncos so far. Vitt joins offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, offensive line coach Zach Strief, tight ends coach Declan Doyle, pass game coordinator John Morton, outside linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite, and assistant head coach MikeWesthoff on the coaching staff with the roster including familiar names like wide receivers Marquez Callaway and Lil’Jordan Humphrey, defensive tackle Jordan Jackson, running back Tony Jones Jr., tight end Chris Manhertz, and fullback Michael Burton. Expect more former Saints to join them.
