The Denver Broncos are bringing back former offensive coordinator Mike McCoy to fill the same position after he spent the last four seasons as head coach of the San Diego Chargers.

“Mike is an experienced play-caller who can build a system around our players,” Broncos coach Vance Joseph said in a statement. “It was our goal to find an offensive coordinator who has flexibility with his scheme, and Mike has done that as both a head coach and coordinator. He’s had a lot of success in this league with many different styles of offense, including here with the Broncos.

"Mike will bring energy and creativity to our offense, and we’re excited to welcome him back to Denver."

McCoy, 44, was a rising star before failing to guide San Diego from the clutches of mediocrity. He never won more than nine games in a season with the Chargers and made a single playoff appearance in his four years with the club. His 2016 squad went just 5-11 despite the presence of dynamic talents like Philip Rivers, Melvin Gordon, Joey Bosa, Antonio Gates, and Casey Hayward.

The struggles on offense became the biggest hindrance for McCoy and the Chargers finished 2016 with the most turnovers in the NFL.

His history as an assistant shines much brighter. His work with the Carolina Panthers from 2000-08 helped the franchise earn its first Super Bowl appearance and caught the eye of the Broncos. He was named Denver’s offensive coordinator in 2009. He spun his wheels for three seasons with Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow as his primary quarterbacks, then delivered one of the league’s most explosive attacks in 2012 with Peyton Manning behind center.

With the veteran passer in tow, McCoy’s Broncos ranked second in the league in scoring and fourth in total yardage. It was that mastery that convinced San Diego to roll the dice on the fast-rising assistant.

The Broncos are hoping he can return to those prosperous ways now that the pressure of a head coaching position has been lifted from his shoulders, although he’ll again have to contend with quarterback questions.

The Chargers struggled to score throughout his first three seasons with the team before developing into a top-10 unit this fall. Unfortunately for him, the 5-11 record that accompanied it was the last straw in a disappointing tenure on the West Coast.

But now he’ll return to the team where he earned a head coaching job in the first place.