Vance Joseph facts for kids
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Joseph with the Denver Broncos in 2018
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| Denver Broncos | |||||
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| Position: | Defensive coordinator | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | September 20, 1972 Marrero, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 202 lb (92 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Marrero (LA) Archbishop Shaw | ||||
| College: | Colorado | ||||
| Undrafted: | 1995 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| As coach: | |||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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| Head coaching record | |||||
| Regular season: | 11–21 (.344) | ||||
| Coaching stats at PFR | |||||
Vance Desmond Joseph (born September 20, 1972) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos in the National Football League (NFL). A defensive coordinator is a coach who plans and leads the team's defense.
Joseph played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes in the 1990s. He played as a quarterback and running back. Later, he played professionally as a cornerback for the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts.
After his playing career, Joseph became a coach. He spent 12 years coaching defense in the NFL for teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals, and Miami Dolphins. In 2017, he became the head coach for the Denver Broncos. He coached them until the end of the 2018 season. After that, he was the defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals from 2019 to 2022. In 2023, he returned to the Broncos as their defensive coordinator.
Playing Career Highlights
High School Football
Vance Joseph was a star quarterback for the Archbishop Shaw High School Eagles for three seasons. He helped his team achieve an impressive 37–6 record during his time there. As a sophomore, he led his team to win Louisiana’s 4A state championship. In his senior year, he was recognized as an honorable-mention All-America player by USA Today. His team finished as the 4A state runner-up that year. Joseph was also a starting guard on the Archbishop Shaw basketball team that won the Class 4A state championship in 1988–89. He played basketball all four years of high school.
College Football Journey
Joseph attended the University of Colorado and played for the Colorado Buffaloes football team from 1990 to 1994. He played as a backup quarterback and running back. He was part of the 1990 National Championship team, which was a huge achievement. During his college career, he completed 34 passes for 454 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 237 yards and one touchdown. Joseph earned a degree in marketing from the Leeds School of Business in 1994.
NFL Playing Days
In 1995, the New York Jets signed Joseph as an undrafted free agent. This means he wasn't chosen in the NFL draft but was signed by a team afterward. He changed his position to defensive back. He played two seasons in the NFL for the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts. During his time in the NFL, Joseph started six games and made two interceptions.
Coaching Career
Early College Coaching
Vance Joseph started his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the Colorado Buffaloes from 1999 to 2001. After a short time coaching defensive backs for the Wyoming Cowboys in 2002, he returned to Colorado. He coached defensive backs there in 2002 and 2003. In 2004, he coached defensive backs for the Bowling Green Falcons.
San Francisco 49ers Coach
On February 17, 2005, Joseph joined the San Francisco 49ers as an assistant coach for the secondary players. The secondary is the part of the defense that covers receivers. In 2006, he was promoted to secondary coach. He held this position until 2010.
Houston Texans Coach
Joseph became part of the Houston Texans coaching staff in 2011. He worked as the defensive backs coach. He helped the Texans' defense rank among the top seven in the NFL for three years in a row. His coaching helped the team allow very few passing yards. This contributed to the Texans winning their first two division titles and playoff games in 2011 and 2012.
Cincinnati Bengals Coach
In January 2014, Joseph was hired as the defensive backs coach for the Cincinnati Bengals. He helped the Bengals reach the playoffs in both 2014 and 2015. Under his guidance, the Bengals' defensive backs made a league-leading 41 interceptions during those two seasons.
Miami Dolphins Coach
Joseph was named the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins for the 2016 season. He led a defense that helped the Dolphins get back to the playoffs after eight years. Even with many player injuries, Joseph's defense was strong. They ranked fourth in the NFL at stopping opponents on third downs. They also created many negative plays for opposing teams. The Dolphins won nine of their last 11 regular-season games in 2016, with Joseph's defense getting many turnovers.
Denver Broncos Head Coach
On January 11, 2017, Vance Joseph was hired as the head coach for the Denver Broncos. He signed a four-year contract. He was the first permanent African American head coach for the Broncos.
On September 11, 2017, Joseph won his first game as head coach. The Broncos beat the Los Angeles Chargers 24–21 on Monday Night Football. In his first season (2017), the Broncos had a 5–11 record. In his second season (2018), they improved slightly to 6–10. These were the first time the Broncos had losing seasons back-to-back since the early 1970s. Because of this, Joseph was let go by the team on December 31, 2018.
Arizona Cardinals Coach
On January 11, 2019, Joseph was hired by the Arizona Cardinals as their defensive coordinator. On October 15, 2021, the Cardinals' head coach and some other staff tested positive for COVID-19. This meant Joseph and special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers became co-interim head coaches for one game. They led the Cardinals to a 37–14 win against the Cleveland Browns on October 17, 2021.
Denver Broncos (Second Time)
The Broncos brought Joseph back as their defensive coordinator on February 25, 2023. This time, he works under head coach Sean Payton. Early in the 2023 season, his defense had a very tough game against the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins scored 70 points, which was a very rare event in NFL history. They also gained a lot of yards. Many people criticized the defense's performance. However, Coach Payton said there would be no coaching changes. Five weeks after that game, Joseph's defense showed a great improvement. They allowed no touchdowns in a 24–9 victory over the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.
In the 2024 season, Joseph's defense performed very well. They led the league in sacks, were third in points allowed, and seventh in total defense. This strong defensive play helped the Broncos reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2015 season. Many people praised Joseph for the big improvement in the defense.
Head Coaching Record
| Team | Year | Regular season | Post season | |||||||
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| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| DEN | 2017 | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 4th in AFC West | – | – | – | – |
| DEN | 2018 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3rd in AFC West | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 11 | 21 | 0 | .344 | 0 | 0 | .000 | |||
Personal Life
Vance Joseph has two brothers who are also involved in football. His older brother, Mickey Joseph, is a coach and former quarterback. He is currently the head coach at Grambling State. Vance's younger brother, Sammy Joseph, played defensive back in the NFL and CFL. Vance is married to Holly and they have two children.
