Del Rio Seeing Great Success With Defense, But Will He Stay?

DENVER (CBS4) - Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has had a lot of success this season, and that's sparked speculation he may be ready to be a head coach again.

If that happens, the Broncos would be looking for their eighth defensive coordinator in as many years.

CBS4's Gary Miller talked with Jake Plummer and Tom Nalen, two former Broncos and buddies, about just what it's like to go through so many changes.

"It's huge," Nalen said. "Players develop relationship with these coordinators. If a coordinator leaves it changes how you draft, it changes your free agency. There's a lot of things that go into when a guy leaves and a new guy comes, he wants to get his guys in there, to use his system."

Plummer said coordinators are key to keeping a group of players together, whether it's offense or defense.

"It all depends on if the system is going to change and a let a coordinator bring in his system that he's used his whole career or does he come in and take on the system," Plummer said, "that's really working well for the Denver Broncos."

"I would see a new coordinator coming in and not bringing in his new defense because right now their defense is playing so well you just have to get a coach who can keep those parts together and keep them playing hard and fast."

Nalen knows firsthand just how hard the adjustment can. Gary Kubiak was his coordinator for the first 10 years he was with the Broncos and it was tough when he left.

"It was like, 'What are we going to do? What's our identity?' " Nalen recalled. "I know Mike (Shanahan) was calling a lot of plays but having a guy like Gary Kubiak on the sidelines was very reassuring so I enjoyed having him and I wished he stayed there my last three years."