Eric Studesville Eric Studesville ( born May 29 , 1967 ) is the current running backs coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League ( NFL ) . Studesville is best known as the former offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills and head coach of the Denver Broncos , a position he held on an interim basis in December 2010 . He replaced Josh McDaniels after 12 games in the 2010 NFL Season . He was the first African American head coach in Broncos history , although only on an interim basis . College career . Studesville played defensive back at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater . Coaching career . Studesville began his coaching career in 1991 being an coaching assistant for the University of Arizona . In 1992 Studesville became the secondary coach for the University of North Carolina where he would remain the secondary coach until the end of the 1993 season . in 1994 Studesville became the defensive coordinator for Wingate University where his defense would allow only 15 . 7 points a game and help the bulldogs have a 8 - 2 record in the regular season and make it to the third round of the playoffs . in 1995 Studesville became the defensive coordinator for Kent State University where he would remain the defensive coordinator until the end of the 1996 season . in 1997 Studesville became an NFL coach for the Chicago Bears coaching the running backs he would remain the running backs coach until the end of the 2000 season . 2001 - 2003 . In 2001 , Studesville was hired as the New York Giants running backs coach . There , he guided running back Tiki Barber to three consecutive 1 , 000 yard rushing seasons and paved the way for Barber to become one of the best offensive weapons for the Giants in the coming years . In 2002 , Barber recorded 1 , 554 rushing yards which was not only a career high for the running back , but the second - most total in Giants franchise history . 2004 – 09 . He left the Giants in 2004 and joined the Buffalo Bills coaching staff as the new offensive coordinator . 2004 Studesville & his offense would have a rough start starting off 0 - 4 and averaging only 12 . 75 points a game but would make an extreme turn around helping head coach mike mularkey and the bills finish the the season 10 - 6 averaging 19 . 0 points a game which was one of the worst in the league making me Buffalo Bills a defensive team in 2007 . In 2008 Studesville would be fired as the offensive coordinator but was rehired as the running backs coach . 2009 – present . In January 2009 , Studesville was hired by the Broncos as the specialist coordinator & Running backs coach . . On December 6 , 2010 , then - Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels was fired by owner Pat Bowlen and Studesville was promoted to interim head coach in his place . The choice of Studesville to replace McDaniels was viewed by some as a surprise . He held the interim head coaching position for the final four games of the 2010 season , during which the team went 2 - 2 . His first win as a head coach came December 26 , 2010 when the Broncos defeated the Houston Texans 24 - 23 . On January 13 , 2011 , the Broncos announced they had hired John Fox as the new head coach . Fox would replace Studesville as the teams specialist coordinator but would return him as the team ' s running backs coach