Broncos owner: Next head coach will report directly to me

Denver Broncos CEO and co-owner Greg Penner said the team's next head coach will report directly to him, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

However, Penner added that general manager George Paton will be involved in the coaching search, per Pelissero.

Paton said co-owners Rob Walton, Carrie Walton, and Condoleezza Rice will also be a part of the process, according to Troy Renck of Denver7.

Paton hired head coach Nathaniel Hackett, whom the Broncos fired a day after their 51-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Hackett, who went 4-11, became only the fourth head coach to be fired during their first season.

"We have to be better. I have to better," Paton said, per Renck. "Sunday's game was unacceptable. It was embarrassing. Nowhere close to our standard. All that matters is winning. No one cares about excuses, and we are not going to make them."

Paton also oversaw the Broncos' offseason acquisition of quarterback Russell Wilson for multiple draft picks and players. Wilson, who signed a five-year, $245-million contract extension in September, ranks 29th out of 34 qualified quarterbacks in passer rating during his first season in Denver.

However, Penner expressed his commitment to Wilson.

"The decision to have Russell here is a long-term one," he said, according to James Palmer of NFL Network. "This season has not been up to his standards or expectations. We saw some glimpses of it in the last few weeks. He knows he can play better, we know he can play better, and we know he will do the right work in the offseason to be ready for next year."