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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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Jan 31, 1999; Miami, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan during Super Bowl XXXIII against the Atlanta Falcons at Pro Player Stadium. The Broncos defeated the Falcons 34-19 earning their second consecutive Super Bowl title. Mandatory Credit: Photo By USA TODAY Sports © Copyright USA TODAY Sports /

Denver Broncos head coach no. 1: Mike Shanahan

player. 45. . . . Mike Shanahan. 1

1995-2008 (14 seasons)

  • 7 postseason appearances
  • 3 division titles
  • 2 conference championships/2 Super Bowl appearances
  • 2 Super Bowl victories
  • 146 regular season wins

You had to see this one coming, right?

There’s no way this spot could go to anyone but Mike Shanahan.

Averaging more than 10 wins per season in the 14 years of Shanahan’s reign, the Shanahan era is extremely fondly remembered by everyone in Broncos Country.

He helped lead this team to seven postseason appearances and the first two Super Bowl wins in franchise history.

It’s hard to top that.

What’s amazing about Shanahan’s reign with the Denver Broncos is the fact that the team only won three division titles despite averaging over 10 wins per season.

The Broncos were not only consistently competitive with Shanahan as the head coach, they became one of the winningest franchises in pro sports history thanks to his innovative offensive scheming and play calling.

I won’t soon forget the emotional goodbye in the 2009 offseason from Shanahan and owner Pat Bowlen, who made the decision he felt was best for the Denver Broncos at the time as the team fizzled near the end of the 2008 season.

Regardless of how anything ended with Shanahan as head coach, the way the team performed under him as a whole was incredible.

It seemed like Shanahan could make any running back into an NFL superstar, and for a number of guys, he did.

More than just being a great coach in Denver Broncos history, Mike Shanahan is one of the godfathers of the modern NFL as we all know it today.

Many of the best offenses we see in the league today are derivatives of Shanahan’s offense, including his son Kyle who runs one of the best offenses in the league out in San Francisco.

Shanahan is one of the great offensive minds in the history of the NFL, and the Denver Broncos were fortunate to have been able to see both he and John Elway work together for as long as they did.

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