Broncos assistant head coach Westhoff steps down, citing potential health issue
Nov 12, 2024, 5:57 PM | Updated: 6:05 pm
Mike Westhoff came out of retirement to work with Sean Payton once again, just as he did in New Orleans. But after a season and a half together in Denver, that time is at an end.
Westhoff resigned Tuesday, citing a potential health issue that arose in recent days. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero first reported the news.
A longtime NFL assistant whose career in the pros began in 1982 with the Baltimore Colts, the 76-year-old Westhoff noticed problems with his vision last week, leading to a subsequent battery of medical tests. He subsequently decided to walk away from coaching and return to Florida, his home base.
“It’s not easy to make this decision, but this was a wake-up call that I needed to put my health first,” Westhoff told Pelissero.
Westhoff came to the Broncos in 2023 after a four-season retirement following two seasons with the Saints on Payton’s staff (2017-18). That New Orleans stint itself followed a four-year retirement that was preceded by a 12-season stint with the New York Jets and 15 seasons on the Miami Dolphins staff working with tight ends and special teams.
While with the Broncos, he served as assistant head coach to Payton while helping watch over the special teams. Ben Kotwica serves as special-teams coordinator, with Chris Banjo his assistant.
The departure of Westhoff comes two days after the Broncos’ normally-reliable special-teams unit had a protection breakdown that prevented what would have been a game-winning, 35-yard Wil Lutz field goal. Kansas City field-goal rushers poured through the left side of the line, with linebacker Leo Chenal blocking the kick, securing the Broncos’ ninth-consecutive defeat at Arrowhead Stadium.
Westhoff’s resignation is in no way tied to that or anything on the field.
“This team is very much headed in the right direction with a strong foundation and a winning culture,” Westhoff said in his statement to NFL Network. “I’m grateful to Sean for giving me the opportunity to contribute to a first-class organization and wish the Broncos the very best.”
