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Denver Broncos top 5 head coaches in franchise history

By Sayre Bedinger

07 Oct 2001: Head coach Mike Shanahan of the Denver Broncos observes during the game against the kansas City Chiefs at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos beat the Chiefs 20-6. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr/Allsport
07 Oct 2001: Head coach Mike Shanahan of the Denver Broncos observes during the game against the kansas City Chiefs at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos beat the Chiefs 20-6. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr/Allsport /
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Denver Broncos
Feb 7, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning poses with head coach Gary Kubiak and the Vince Lombardi Trophy presenters after the game against the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium. The Broncos won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Denver Broncos head coach no. 2: Gary Kubiak

45. . . . Gary Kubiak. 2. player

2015-2016 (Two seasons)

  • 1 postseason appearance
  • 1 division title
  • 1 conference championship/Super Bowl apperance
  • 1 Super Bowl victory
  • 24 regular season wins

Is it a flaming hot take to have Gary Kubiak as the second-best head coach in Denver Broncos history?

I don’t think so.

Flashback to the 2015 offseason when the Denver Broncos had just suffered a massively disappointing loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs. The year before that, a crushing defeat in Super Bowl 48 against the Seahawks.

Gary Kubiak had been an assistant with the Baltimore Ravens in 2014 and did a great job with them, helping Joe Flacco to probably the best overall season of his NFL career.

After being let go by the Houston Texans, Kubiak — who had some health scares in the past — vowed to only be an assistant coach due to the immense pressure put on NFL head coaches.

The Broncos convinced him to come out of head coach “retirement” and join the team he had played for and been a prominent assistant with for so many years.

Kubiak becoming head coach of the Denver Broncos was a cathartic experience for longtime fans of the team, and it was the move that ultimately galvanized the entire roster.

The Denver Broncos in 2015 had no business winning the Super Bowl, but they did under Gary Kubiak’s watch.

The late-game heroics for that particular team were nothing short of miraculous. The fact that the Broncos had as bad of quarterback play as they did that season and still managed to become the top seed in the AFC is remarkable.

Peyton Manning was injured, Brock Osweiler replaced him.

Kubiak made difficult decisions throughout the year and ultimately, it’s hard to argue he really made any wrong ones.

He helped the Denver Broncos reach the pinnacle once again, calling a couple of absolute masterpieces in the 2015 postseason, notably his early game scripts against the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers.

Given all the work Kubiak did with the Broncos as John Elway’s backup and as Mike Shanahan’s top assistant, how could he not be considered one of the best head coaches in team history, regardless of what happened in the 2016 season?

Speaking of the 2016 season, Kubiak took a dismantled roster with Trevor Siemian as the starting quarterback to nine wins. He had health issues that forced special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis into an emergency interim head coach role, but Kubiak came back and nearly coached the Broncos to the playoffs, but nine wins weren’t enough.

Including the playoffs, the Broncos were 24-11 under Gary Kubiak.

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