ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Denver has officially added to its coaching staff.

The Broncos have named former Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi as their Special Teams Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach, Head Coach Sean Payton announced Friday.

Rizzi served as the Saints' special teams coordinator from 2019-24 and was also named assistant head coach in 2022. He also assumed the role of interim head coach midway through the 2024 season.

The veteran coach worked as Payton's special teams coordinator for three seasons in New Orleans from 2019-21.

With more than 30 years of coaching experience — including 16 seasons at the NFL level — Rizzi brings a history of special teams excellence to Denver. Through 2023, Rizzi's units ranked in the top half of Rick Gosselin's annual special teams rankings in 12 of the 13 seasons he served as coordinator. His group ranked in the top five in the aforementioned rankings in four of the five seasons between 2019-2023.

Rizzi coached multiple Pro Bowl players with the Saints, including safety J.T. Gray (2021), return specialists Deonte Harty (2019) and Rashid Shaheed (2023) and current Broncos kicker Wil Lutz (2019). Gray, Harty and Shaheed also earned All-Pro honors under Rizzi's coaching.

Before his tenure with the Saints, Rizzi spent 10 years with the Dolphins, including nearly nine seasons as special teams coordinator. He also added associate head coaching responsibilities in Miami for his final two seasons. Rizzi coached a pair of Pro Bowl players in punter Brandon Fields and long snapper John Denney with the Dolphins.

Rizzi has also served a pair of stints as a head coach, including at D-II New Haven from 1999-2001 and at Rhode Island in 2008. His collegiate experience includes stops at Colgate (graduate assistant - 1993), New Haven (special teams/defensive line - 1994-96; defensive coordinator - 1997), Northeastern (special teams/linebackers - 1998) and Rutgers (special teams - 2002-03; special teams/asst. head coach - 2004-07).

A Rhode Island graduate, Rizzi played tight end during his collegiate career.