Broncos tab Tyrone Wheatley as running backs coach, rounding out Nathaniel Hackett’s positional hires on offense

The Broncos officially named Tyrone Wheatley the team’s running back coach Wednesday.

Wheatley, a 10-year NFL veteran who played for the Giants and Raiders, spent the past three seasons as the head coach for Morgan State. He has ties to Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett, having worked with the Broncos’ head coach at Syracuse and with the Bills and Jaguars.

The former Michigan star was a three-time All-Big Ten selection from 1992-94, including earning the conference’s offensive player of the year in a sophomore season that was capped with Rose Bowl MVP honors.

After being selected 17th overall by the Giants in 1995, Wheatley spent four years in New York followed by six with the Raiders. He finished his career with 4,962 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns before retiring and getting his first coaching job at his high school alma mater, Robichaud in Dearborn Heights, Mich.

Wheatley spent one year apiece as the running backs coach at Eastern Michigan and Ohio Northern before three years at Syracuse. He then jumped to the NFL in 2013, logging a couple seasons as the running backs coach with the Bills before serving as an assistant at Michigan and then becoming the running backs coach for the Jaguars.

While the head coach at Morgan State, a historically Black college in Division-I FCS, the Bears didn’t play in 2020 due to COVID and then went 2-9 this past season after posting a 3-9 mark in 2019.

Wheatley replaces Curtis Modkins, who spent the past four seasons as Denver’s running backs coach. Wheatley inherits a promising running back room featuring second-year pro Javonte Williams, with backup Mike Boone in the second and final year of his deal. Williams’ co-workhorse last year, veteran Melvin Gordon, is a free agent.

With Wheatley’s hiring, the Broncos’ positional coaches on offense are set.

In addition to Hackett, who will call the plays, Denver recently hired offensive coordinator Justin Outten, quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak, offensive line coach Butch Barry, assistant offensive line coach Ben Steele and tight end coach Jake Moreland, while also retaining wideout coach Zach Azzanni.