Broncos, John Fox to talk

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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- John Fox's interview for the Denver Broncos' coaching vacancy was rescheduled after he was unable to fly out of North Carolina on Monday due to bad weather.

A winter storm began rolling across the South on Sunday, coating bridges and roads with snow, sleet and freezing rain and forcing the cancellation of more than 2,000 flights in the region.

Fox will interview instead on Wednesday, as will New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. The Saints lost at Seattle in a divisional playoff game Saturday.

Fox spent the last nine seasons as coach of the Carolina Panthers, who didn't renew his contract following an NFL-worst 2-14 season.

Even though Fox coached the one team with a worse record than Denver (4-12), Fox is the biggest name so far on its list of coaching candidates.

New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and Broncos interim coach Eric Studesville had interviews Sunday.

Offensive coordinators Dirk Koetter of Jacksonville and Rick Dennison of Houston will interview Tuesday. Dennison spent more than 20 years with the Broncos as a player and assistant coach before joining the Texans last season.

"He deserves the opportunity," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said Monday. "He's done a good job in this league and I know it's a big day for him, so we wish him all the best; and if he gets it, we're happy for him, and if not, we're lucky he's back."

Dennis was a Broncos linebacker from 1982-90 and assistant coach from 1995-2009. He interviewed for Denver's head coaching job two years ago and was one of three assistants who stayed on staff following Josh McDaniels' replacement of Mike Shanahan.

The Broncos are looking for a coach just two years after hiring McDaniels away from Bill Belichick's staff in New England. McDaniels was 32 at the time he was given two roles he'd never had: coach and general manager with final say on personnel decisions.

McDaniels won his first six games, then went 5-17 after a series of roster blunders and was fired a couple of weeks after the Spygate II videotaping scandal became public.

Team president Joe Ellis said he erred in bestowing so much power so soon on McDaniels following Shanahan's ouster. The team has made significant front-office changes since McDaniels was fired.

Hall of Famer John Elway is back as executive vice president of football operations, and immediately empowered GM Brian Xanders, who is charge of the draft and free agency. So, the new coach will focus more on preparing the team than on building the roster.

Elway is leading the coaching search with Xanders and Ellis sitting in on the interviews. Owner Pat Bowlen will also have a say.

Bowlen still owes Shanahan $3.5 million next season and is also on the hook to McDaniels, who was due $3.2 million in 2011 before a recent, undisclosed settlement.

The Broncos own the second overall pick in the draft, and Xanders said fixing the league's worst defense is the top priority.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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