Intelligence, innovation, leadership: How Nathaniel Hackett became the perfect candidate for the Broncos

DENVER — At age 17, Nathaniel Hackett ran for student council president of Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland, Kan. His campaign slogan was simple.

Nate Hackett will let you know if you have something in your teeth.

The gist of Hackett’s campaign was that he wanted every student, teacher and faculty member to be the best version of themselves. If he could help them reach that potential, he would.

Now, 25 years later, few who were at Blue Valley Northwest in 1997 have forgotten his unique presidential speech.

“He delivered it in such a way that was engaging and of course was the classic Nate Hackett way,” said Justin Carlson, who was Hackett’s unofficial campaign manager and still one of his closest friends today. “He had everybody on the edge of their seat when he was delivering it. And that’s kind of who he was and still is. Even back then, he had a really unique way of controlling a room. He’d walk in and everybody’s paying attention to Nate.”

Nothing’s changed since 1997.

New Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett, second from left in back, poses for a photograph with his family after a news conference to introduce him as the team’s new NFL head football coach Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, in Englewood, Colo. Hackett’s children are, Harrison, 13, back left, London, 11, front left, Briar, 12, front center, and Everly, 9. His wife, Megan, is back right.

On Friday, Hackett once again captivated his audience, this time at UCHealth Training Center in Dove Valley as he was introduced as the Broncos’ 18th head coach. His unique personality has been well-documented, from being a Star Wars fanatic to being an excellent hip hop dancer. And on Friday, he was everything he was made out to be — charismatic, amusing, engaging and, above all, refreshing.

“To say that I’m excited would be a massive understatement,” a passionate Hackett said in his opening statement Friday. “It’s about people. It’s about communication. It’s about talking with one another. It’s about all of us coming together and making something special here and really making Broncos Country proud because that’s what it’s all about.”

The 42-year-old coach brings a much-needed spark to the Broncos, an organization that hasn’t seen a winning season in five years and the playoffs in six. 

But Hackett appears to be more than ready for the difficult challenge ahead, thanks to a football journey that has more than prepared him for this job. A neurobiology and physiology behaviors major at UC Davis, his intellect is widespread. The son of a successful college and NFL coach, his football knowledge is unquestioned. And his innate ability to connect with anyone — specifically players — makes him a leader worth following.

General Manager George Paton said Hackett impressed him with “his intelligence, his innovation and his strong leadership qualities.” It’s those traits that have many believing Hackett is the right man in charge for the Broncos.

And according to those who know Hackett best, he’s possessed those qualities his entire life, from Blue Valley Northwest to UC Davis to all eight of his stops in his coaching journey.

“He had a dynamic personality where he could have done anything,” said Steve Bronzan, who was Hackett’s defensive coordinator at UC Davis. “If you asked me if he was going to be an orthopedic surgeon, I would’ve said yes. Performing on Broadway? Yeah, that, too. A motivational speaker? Certainly.

“And an NFL head coach? Definitely.”

Nov. 28, 1998, Hackett and Carlson stood on the sidelines of The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum watching USC-Notre Dame. At the time, Hackett’s dad, Paul, was in his first year as the head coach of USC.

Hackett and Carlson watched as the Trojans lined up on the goal line halfway through the third quarter.

“This would be a good time to throw one into the back corner,” Carlson said to Hackett.

“Nope, no way,” Hackett responded. “Look at how they’re lining up on the left side. My dad is smarter than that. He’ll bootleg the quarterback.”

Sure enough, USC quarterback Carson Palmer faked the handoff, bootlegged around the left side and scored with ease.

“He just broke the whole thing down right there,” Carlson said. “He could always see so much more than the rest of us.”

Hackett’s football IQ has always been high, having grown up the son of a coach who has more than 40 years of college and NFL coaching experience. Paul was the head coach of the University of Pittsburgh from 1989-1992 and Southern Cal from 1998-2000. And he was an assistant for seven different NFL franchises, coaching alongside and learning from legendary coaches Bill Walsh of the 49ers, Tom Landry of the Cowboys and Marty Schottenheimer of the Chiefs.

There by Paul’s side was his son, who often served as a ball boy for most of those teams.

“My dad is one of the best men I’ve ever met,” Hackett said. “Growing up as a coach’s kid, you see a lot of stuff. … It was amazing. I loved my dad and what he was doing; I loved his work ethic. Just seeing the ups and downs of this profession was something that was valuable for me. … It’s almost like the training started super early.”

Throughout his life, it’s been clear to others that Hackett had a football acumen most don’t have because of his father. His high school coach at Blue Valley Northwest, Steve Harms, said he picked things up quickly and was the equivalent of having a coach on the field. His college coach at UC Davis, Bob Biggs, said Nate often sat in the coaches meetings and answered player questions during practice.

“Nathaniel was just one of those guys that was sort of a bright light on your team,” Biggs said. “He’s as bright as can be. He would carry that same intellect and awareness on the football field. His football IQ was outstanding.”

It’s one thing, though, to be an impressive high school and college player or coach, but the NFL? Hackett’s intelligence was just as impressive, even at 27 years old when he joined the Buccaneers staff as an offensive quality control coach in 2006.

“He was very smart. Once you taught him something or he picked up on something, he could retain it,” said Richard Mann, who coached wide receivers for the Buccaneers and coached in the NFL for 35 years. “You knew he grew up in it. He had been around the game. There were a lot of things he was exposed to that a lot of us as coaches weren’t. And in my opinion, he really deserves a shot at being a head coach. And I’m not saying that because I know him, but because I know he worked through the ranks and deserves one. And I think he’s going to do very well. The sky’s the limit for him.”

Hackett has always had an innovative mind. That was no more prevalent than in his senior AP literature and composition class at Blue Valley Northwest.

To help his class understand the complicated play “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” which follows the escapades of the two minor Shakespearean characters, Hackett created a spoof video in which he incorporated songs from rapper Jay-Z to explain the meaning of the famous play.

“I remember putting the videotape and laughing until the video was over because he had captured the essence of this tragedy with such aplomb that he had us all in stitches,” said Sherry Unruh, Hackett’s teacher. “He was able to take this very dark, intricate Shakespearean play and help us understand it through shenanigans.”

While he may not be making any videos about Shakespeare in Denver, he has similarly used his creativity to connect with players throughout his career.

In Tampa Bay, he was in charge of putting together game film for the offense. Hackett would edit the film in a way that it was easy for players to understand, quickly becoming one of the team’s most valuable assets. And as an offensive coordinator in Buffalo, Jacksonville and Green Bay he found new ways to teach players, whether that be dancing in the meeting rooms or naming plays after Star Wars characters.

“He’s in costumes, he’s yelling, he’s jumping up and down,” Former Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles told DenverBroncos.com. “He’s high energy for sure, which is great. He’s got that infectious energy that you can’t help but be in a better mood when you’re around him.”

His innovation on the field is sure to boost the Broncos on offense, but it’s his innovation off the field that has become a way for him to connect with players, which is sometimes the most difficult battle.

“In the NFL, your relationships with players are based on one thing: can you help them perform better? And I know that Nathaniel was well-received by the players,” said Bill Muir, who was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach in Tampa Bay. “He brought them information and helped them improve, helped them play better. I would particularly say he was a good teacher. He was very detail-oriented and innovative. And I think it’s the innovation that stands out. He wasn’t your cookie-cutter of a coach.”

Hackett won his presidential race in 1997. Rumor has it he won in a landslide. And that shouldn’t be a surprise, as Hackett was well received by everyone at the school.

“The custodians, the lunch ladies — everyone loved him,” said Harms, who spent over 25 years at the school as the football coach and athletic director. “There wasn’t anything he didn’t do or wasn’t involved in.”

On top of being school president, he was also the captain of the football and basketball teams, a competitive improv actor, an avid chess player and a volunteer in the school’s special education program. He was a leader in everything he did.

“He was capable of bringing unlike people together. And it always did with such grace,” said Unruh, who is retired from teaching and now lives in Estes Park. “The minute I heard he got the job, I thought to myself, ‘this is perfect.’ Because he’s got that ability to embrace people and help them embrace each other.”

Hackett credits his mom and dad for his outgoing personality, which has turned him into the leader he is today. And it’s his leadership that stood out the most to Paton and the Broncos, which made it clear that their No. 1 priority was to bring in a leader first and coach second.

While Hackett may not have much experience in leading an entire NFL team, those who have seen him in his element believe he will succeed.

“He didn’t go up there and just try to BS people,” said Art Valero, who coached running backs in Tampa Bay. “The one thing you can’t do in the National Football League is you can’t fool players. You cannot fool them. And Nathaniel could come into a room, and because he was speaking truth — boom, he owned them and he had them. I really feel like he will do that in Denver. He’s going to be able to control that team and get them to go where he wants them to go.”

Hackett has a long way to go before he succeeds in Denver. And he’ll most certainly need some help along the way — particularly at quarterback.

But for those who know him best, they will always bet on Hackett. Because wherever he’s been, he’s always had a positive impact on those around him.

“I’d say his No. 1 trait is that he just has a magnetism that draws people to him,” said Carlson, a former U.S. Marine. “People want to be on the team that he is leading because he’s smart, creative and has a genuine ability to make people feel good.”

Intelligence. Innovation. Leadership.

Maybe that will be Hackett’s slogan in Denver.