Last night, the Denver Broncos announced the passing of a loyal longtime assistant coach in Joe Collier, who was 91 years old.
Collier had a one-of-a-kind career in a lot of ways, and many consider him a coaching icon on the defensive side of the ball and one of the best defensive coordinators the league has ever seen.
He spent nearly two decades as part of the Broncos coaching staff, starting in 1968 as defensive backs coach before being promoted to defensive coordinator.
He was well known, not only for his defense that would be dubbed "The Orange Crush," but he was also an innovator with the 3-4 defensive structure.
His defensive acumen helped lead the Broncos organization to three Super Bowl appearances as they became annual contenders for championships through the 70s and 80s.
During his time in Denver, he helped coach 12 players that are now in the Broncos Ring of Fame, and linebacker Randy Gradishar was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2024 class.
Before his run with the Broncos defense, he spent a few seasons as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, where he went 9-4, 4-10 and then 0-2 before being dismissed. He held a career head coaching record of 13-17-1.
A native of Rock Island, IL, Collier was an two-time All American at Northwestern. Interestingly enough, after being picked in the 22nd Round of the 1954 NFL Draft, Collier elected not to play football, spent three years in the US Army, and then started his coaching career at Western Illinois.
Collier most recently called the defense for the New England Patriots from 1991-92 before retiring.
Below is the statement from the Broncos.