Broncos Fire Collier, 4 Other Defensive Coaches

Less than 24 hours after the Denver Broncos concluded a disappointing 8-8 season, defensive coordinator Joe Collier and four other defensive assistants were fired, Coach Dan Reeves announced Sunday.

Collier, 56, a Bronco coach for 20 years who was the principal architect of the Orange Crush defense of the late 1970s, was not surprised by the decision. Before Saturday’s 21-10 victory over the New England Patriots, the Broncos ranked last in the National Football League in rushing defense and 22nd in total defense.

Also fired were defensive line coach Stan Jones, linebacker coach Myrel Moore, secondary coach Charlie West and assistant line coach Rubin Carter.

Said Reeves: “I feel we need to move in a new direction, to have a new philosophy on defense. To do that, I’ve had to let some good people go.

“I want us to be more together as a team. There’s been a separation (between offense and defense) that shouldn’t be there. It’s been a we-against-they situation. You can’t get anything done unless it’s a ‘we’ situation. Sometimes if I said something to the defense, I was looked at as strange.”

Jones, 56, had been with the Broncos 18 seasons; Moore, 54, for 13 years; West, 41, for 6 years, and Carter, 35, for 2.

Most of the fired assistants declined to comment.

Collier, attempting to elude reporters outside Bronco headquarters, sprinted toward his car and initially declined comment. But when asked about his future plans, he said, “I don’t know. I haven’t decided.”

Reeves admitted he was forced into making a decision about his staff sooner than he would have liked, partly because owner Pat Bowlen said Saturday in a television interview that changes would be made in the Broncos’ defensive staff.

“I would like for that not to have been said,” Reeves said of the timing of Bowlen’s comments. “I did not anticipate making the decision quite this early. But because of things that were said and things that were written, I felt like the sooner the better.”

Reeves said he has no timetable for filling the spots.