ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The
Denver Broncos are no longer aggressively pursuing Stanford coach
Jim Harbaugh for their vacant head coaching position.
John Elway, the Broncos' new football czar, said on his weekly radio show on 87.7 The Ticket in Denver on Friday that he believes Harbaugh wants to stay at Stanford, where star quarterback
Andrew Luck will return next season rather than turn pro.
Elway said he believes Harbaugh's alma mater, Michigan -- which earlier this week fired Rich Rodriguez as coach -- might be back in the picture after Harbaugh listened to pitches from the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins this week.
Elway said he's seeking permission from the
Houston Texans to interview offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, a longtime Broncos assistant, and is considering calling former Giants coach Jim Fassel.
On Thursday,
Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey canceled his interview with the Broncos, which had been set for Friday night. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported that according to a team source, Mularkey wanted to focus on the Falcons' playoff run, but would be interested in Denver if the job remained open after the Falcons' season was over.
"I respect the decision that Mike Mularkey has made to not interview with the Broncos at this time," Elway said via his official Twitter account Thursday. "I wish Coach Mularkey and the Atlanta Falcons the best of luck in the playoffs."
With Mularkey scrubbing his interview, the Broncos' search committee that includes general manager Brian Xanders, team president Joe Ellis and owner Pat Bowlen, will remain in Denver preparing to interview
New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and interim Denver coach Eric Studesville, both on Sunday, in addition to possibly interviewing Dennison and Fassel.
Elway said Thursday he wanted to hire a coach who already had head coaching experience, preferably in the NFL, and both Fewell, 48, and Studesville, 43, have been interim head coaches, Fewell for seven games in Buffalo in 2009.
"I don't believe anybody that's not had that NFL experience can make that jump -- other than Harbaugh. There's nobody [else] in the college ranks that we're interested in talking to," Elway said. "And preferably we'd like to have some head coaching background in the NFL, but it's not a must. If there's a guy who's a coordinator that's up and coming and shows that he can be the head coach and understands that, then he'll be the guy."