Michael Lombardi vouches for former Broncos HC Dan Reeves to be in the Hall of Fame

As someone who reads and listens to Michael Lombardi on a weekly basis, I highly suggest Broncos Country to consume the content he publishes. Now that Sean Payton is the head coach in Denver, Lombardi has connections since they both stem from the Bill Parcells coaching tree.

Besides that, the former NFL scout, coach, and three-time Super Bowl-winning executive talks about the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his new book Football Done Right. Lombardi expressed his frustrations about former great Denver Broncos head coach Dan Reeves not being in the Hall of Fame.

Earlier this year, one finalist was named in the coach category by a voting committee, and it was late coach Buddy Parker, who Lombardi talks about as well in his new book.

Reeves was not the only former Broncos head coach who fell short in the Hall of Fame bid earlier this year. Mike Shanahan is the other Broncos legend who has not been inducted yet into the Hall, and Lombardi vouches for both men in Football Done Right.

Michael Lombardi believes Dan Reeves should undoubtedly be in the Hall of Fame

In Football Done Right, he introduces his criteria for coaches to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In the first criteria he sets straight, he mentions Dan Reeves qualifying for the gold jacket. Lombardi believes if a coach accomplishes 200 games won, either regular season games or regular season and playoffs combined, the coach deserves to be in the Hall.

This standard would allow Reeves into the Hall of Fame as only two percent of the coaching community have accomplished this feat. He states, "If you're better than 98 percent of your peers, you belong in the Hall of Fame. How can this be debatable?"

Reeves had a tremendous tenure at Denver as the head coach of the Broncos. When he took over in 1981, he was in complete control of football operations. Reeves played a factor in trading for the great John Elway in 1983. In his tenure their, he accomplished:

• 6 Postseasons
• 3 AFC Championships
• 3 Super Bowl Appearances (Only coach to guide a team to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances during the 1980s)

Despite never winning a Super Bowl in Denver (he won one as a player and assistant coach), Lombardi believes that it should not be a negative towards a coach for not winning the most prestigious trophy in American sports.

"But the lopsided nature of these three Super Bowl losses hurt [Dan] Reeves in his pursuit of the Hall of Fame's gold jacket. Losing repeatedly in the Super Bowl shouldn't be a barrier to entry to the Hall. Marv Levy of the Buffalo Bills lost four and got in. So did Bud Grant of the Minnesota Vikings. This isn't to say Levy and Grant don't belong, but voters can't hold these losses against Reeves."

- Michael Lombardi in "Football Done Right

Reeves is one of the greatest minds football has ever had and he was much appreciated in Denver when he was here. He left a lasting legacy in the organization and contributed significantly to the team's success during the 1980s and early 1990s.

"...Mike Shanahan, Dan Reeves, and Marty Schottenheimer all should have been selected for the Hall before [Dick] Vermeil. But none of them had someone like [Carl] Peterson working on their behalf. Sponsorship matters."

- Michael Lombardi in "Football Done Right

Lombardi is adamant on how certain individuals that are in the Hall of Fame have been inducted earlier than others due to politics and sponsorship. In this case, Lombardi was the sponsor for the great Dan Reeves in his new excellent book Football Done Right.

His ability to develop talent, make playoff runs, and establish a winning culture was a significant part of the Broncos' history and should never be forgotten.