Broncos DL coach Dixon departs to join the Vikings
For the second time this week, the Denver Broncos saw a defensive assistant coach head to another NFL team.
The Minnesota Vikings announced Friday that they’ve hired Broncos defensive line coach Marcus Dixon in the same role.
Dixon joins former defensive backs coach Christian Parker on the way out of Denver, with sources telling The Post on Monday that Parker will join the Philadelphia Eagles coaching staff after three seasons in Denver.
Dixon spent two seasons with the Broncos, working under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero in 2022 and Vance Joseph in 2023. Dixon and Parker were the only two holdovers from Evero’s staff.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton spoke highly of Parker and Dixon before the start of the 2023 season.
“There were not many people I was familiar with (from last year’s staff), but those guys were very impressionable,” Payton said. “Both of those guys have passion, are very talented, and I think have a lot of upside.”
Before coaching in Denver, Dixon was an assistant defensive line coach for the Los Angeles Rams during the 2021 season, when the franchise defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. As a player, Dixon spent time with the Cowboys, Jets, Chiefs and Titans.
In Minnesota, Dixon will work under defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Last month, the Broncos made moves in their scouting department, as sources told The Post that they were hiring New Orleans assistant director of college scouting Cody Rager to a newly created vice president of player personnel position. The Broncos are also expected to hire former Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. as a senior offensive assistant.
But these changes are small compared to the wholesale changes the franchise made with the coaching staff over the previous two offseasons, when Denver switched out head coaches as well as defensive and offensive coordinators.
If Payton wants to continue with his tradition of hiring coaches from his New Orleans days, he could target Saints pass rush specialist Brian Young to fill Dixon’s role.
The former UTEP standout spent five seasons as a defensive tackle for the Saints before joining the coaching staff in 2009, working as an unpaid intern then becoming an assistant defensive line coach and pass rush specialist.
Former Saints defensive backs coach Kris Richard could be an option to fill Parker’s role. Richard worked under Payton in 2021 before assuming co-defensive coordinator duties this season. The Saints parted ways with Richard after the 2023 campaign.
Before coaching in New Orleans, Richard was the defensive backs coach in Dallas and Seattle, where he helped develop former Seahawks such as Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor.