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5 best seasons for first-year head coaches in Broncos history

By Travis Wakeman

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - SEPTEMBER 5: Head Coach Wade Phillips of the Denver Broncos looks on during pregame warmups prior to the start of NFL football game against the New York Jets September 5, 1993 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Phillips was the head coach of the Broncos from 1993-94. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - SEPTEMBER 5: Head Coach Wade Phillips of the Denver Broncos looks on during pregame warmups prior to the start of NFL football game against the New York Jets September 5, 1993 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Phillips was the head coach of the Broncos from 1993-94. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
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Denver Broncos
Dec 18, 2011; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos head coach John Fox congratulates Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (15) after a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the game against the New England Patriots at Sports Authority Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

John Fox, 2011

The Broncos used John Fox to bring the team back from the nightmarish Josh McDaniels era and Fox was wildly successful, winning the AFC West in each of his four seasons with the team. He also took the Broncos to Super Bowl XLVIII.

Fox had spent nine seasons as head coach of the Carolina Panthers prior to coming to Denver so unlike Reeves and Phillips, he had head coaching experience.

The 2011 season was a wild one in Denver as it was the year of ‘Tebowmania‘. The Broncos started out 1-4 with Kyle Orton as their starting quarterback and with each loss, the chants of “Tebow” got louder and louder from the fans.

This was of course Broncos Country’s way of saying put Tim Tebow in at quarterback.

That seemed to go against what the coaching staff and front office actually wanted but you still have to give Fox credit for going that route. Tebow wasn’t magnificent but he helped the team win the division despite an 8-8 record.

They then defeated the defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs with one of the most memorable plays in Broncos history.

Detractors of Tebow want to point to things like the defense or kicker Matt Prater winning those games but those guys weren’t winning games when Orton was the quarterback. Tebow was one-thousand percent the motivating factor and Fox allowed that to happen by making the switch.

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