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Published on 01/13/2011 at Thu Jan 13 13:48.
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John Fox looks over the field before an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

John Fox looks over the field before an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

John Elway has just announced via his Twitter account that John Fox has been named the newest head coach of the Denver Broncos.

In a string of Tweets Elway stated,

“[Fox] is a dynamic and proven leader who will energize our entire organization. John has coached great defenses, turned teams around and been to Super Bowls. We couldn’t be more excited to have him lead the Denver Broncos.”

Fox is 73-71 (.503%) all time with a 5-3 (.625%) record in the post-season, he has been a head coach exclusively with the Carolina Panthers.

Coach Fox is a member of the Chuck Noll coaching tree; Fox has served under Noll, Bobby Ross, Art Shell, Mike White, Rich Brooks and Jim Fassel. Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio served as a coordinator for Fox in Carolina.

In 2003; one season after taking over in Carolina, Fox led the Panthers to the Super Bowl and lost by a last second field goal by the New England PatriotsAdam Vinatieri.

More as this story comes in. Meanwhile, your comments and reactions below!

  • glaxsnax

    I agree, let's all be denizens of the Dennison.

  • http://nation.theorangepage.com/blog Ian Henson

    He's likely to keep McCoy, yeah.

  • http://nation.theorangepage.com/blog Ian Henson

    Jim Mora Jr. also grew up in Boulder.

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Josh Temple

    Playoffs???

  • glaxsnax

    Dennison, DEnnison, DENnison, DENNison, DENNIson, DENNISon, DENNISOn, DENNISON…All together now!!__________, __________, __________! Now just the gals…..Now just the guys…..Now just Thunder, and now just Pat. And now Al Gore (recount the votes…recount the votes?)

  • Scottey

    Here is another way to look at this hire. Most pundits have railed that Elway has had no experience, and Xanders is weak in that department as well. When you bring in Fox, you get someone who knows how to do things on the head coaching level so Elway and Xanders can learn with the help of someone who has been around the block. This means that a grownup is working to coach and help as a team player in the front office, not someone who is trying to show that he is the top dog in the room.

  • NMBronc

    I am acutally ok with McCoy. The play calling certainly improved when he took over from McGone…..granted that is not saying much.

  • crazykid

    What happens to Studesville?

  • roshon2411

    I like Mora…think that would be a good choice.

  • Cj

    I bet we snag Deangelo williams in free agency

  • AtomicLep

    My hubby is a Pittsburgh guy, so we watch a lot of Steeler games in my house. Cowher is over-rated. He completely mailed it in after the SB win. It was embarrassing. His wife died a few years ago and he's been sitting on his butt the TV studio. I can't even imagine him getting back into the NFL grind after.

  • Stav

    I'm with you on that.

  • linmoo

    This is a great hire. Pairing a hungry, aggressive front office with a steady, defensive head coach is good setup. One knock on Fox is his offensive game plans are too out-of-date, but with McCoy calling the newer “Patriot-style” offense, I think we'll be a much improved overall team for years to come.

    Finally, I'm excited to see what the future has in store for the Broncos!

  • Stav

    Oh man I hope so. I'd like to see Dennison come aboard, and I'm sure he'd like to come back, but I think McCoy is staying. What about bringing back Coyer as DC? He's an old hardnose s-o-b, Shanny should of never let him go.

    Well, if every game is 14-10, it'll be better that giving up almost 30 a game, no?

  • kerry

    wow you guys sure are hating on John Fox. i mean fuck Josh McDaniels walked in and most of you were ready to line up and orally please him, but Fox, a proven head coach who can build a good running game and a good defense is underwhelming?? really?? so tell me what made an unproven ego maniac so overwhelming VS a proven coach who can actually coach up a team.

  • flbronc

    i think fairley goes number one anyway. if we go back to a 4-3 i would be ok with a bowers pick at #2 . i wouldnt want to mess with him transitioning to a lb in a 3-4 though.

  • flbronc

    we definately have the firepower to score more than that. even if we keep mccoy- which is a mistake- i think we can score in the 20's most games. we did it toward the end of this year- against a couple of decent defenses (houston excluded of course).

  • Darwin

    You have to wonder about hiring someone that just led a team to the worst record in the league. You can spin it anyway you want but “You are what your record says you are!”
    Harbaugh would have gotten me excited. However, let's see who Fox hires for assistants and what players Xanders/Elway bring in to inject some talent into a team that is solely lacking in talent.
    We are right down there with Carolina when it comes to being talentless!

  • flbronc

    i wasnt a big fan of his first half play calls at all. all of the games he called started off horribly. the second half he opened up the playbook, hence the comeback against houston and the almost comeback against sd. i would prefer someone else for sure.

  • flbronc

    i dont see why we would want to spend big money on a free agent rb who has health issues…. we have knomo, ball, buck, and white. they can put up decent numbers if we have a line that can block for them. thats our problem not the backs.

  • flbronc

    what are your thoughts on it? do you like or dislike the hire?

  • crazykid

    thumbs up for optimism!

  • kerry

    im cautiously optimistic about the hire with more optimism then caution. i like this for a couple reasons. one Fox knows defense. and two, fox knows how to run the football. i can see Deangelo Williams wearing a Broncos Uni this year. however what brings me down on this hire is that Fox is WAY too conservative on offense. his offense isnt a “sling the ball all over the field” offense. its a run first, run second and throw on third down to get the first. thats how Dan Reeves used to call the offense. but HOPEFULLY Fox changes up allows Tebow to throw more. a good OC is needed. if McCoy stays then its bubble screen heaven. so from a defense side i like this, from an offense side im not sold. but we shall see.

    i think now we will be going back to the 4-3 which is good and bad. good because we need run stuffers and there are a couple at the top of this draft in Fairly and Dareus. bad because this means Dumervil will be shifted back to DE where he wasnt as dominant as he was a 3-4 OLB. Ayers MAY find new life as a 4-3 DE because he was WAY too slow to play 3-4 OLB. this is a tough thing. id like to see Asomugha signed and Fairly drafted. that would go a long way in convincing me he is the absolute right choice.

  • kerry

    yeah but the difference is the Carolina ownership is so tight about their money. so Fox couldnt get who he wanted and the Panthers refused to re-sign Peppers. Elway will wanna bring in good talent and draft well and wont pinch pennies in the process.

  • flbronc

    the asomugha and fairley calls will be made by xanders if we can believe what we are told. i am wishy washy on going back to a 4-3. there are more ready players for that, but i like the 3-4 better as a base defense. we get better quicker in the 4-3, but long term i think that the 3-4 is better.

    his hire makes the decision at oc all the more important. we sure as heck need someone on the offensive staff who can build a line and develop a qb. from the sound of it we need an oc who can build an offensive gameplan on his own.

  • flbronc

    i dont put all that much stock into the last year in carolina. the problem wasnt fox, it was more the front office/owner- they did nothing to attempt to improve their team.

  • CJ

    I have no problem going back to the 4-3 as long as they can stop the opposing offense for once.. since denver went 3-4 i really liked the idea of it because of all the other dominant defenses are 3-4 but if you expect a first year defensive coordinator to teach a bunch of talentless hacks i guess it wont work

  • AtomicLeo

    For those of you down on this hire keep this in mind

    There will be a lockout. We won't see games until September, maybe October. The new coach will have no, nil, zero contact with any players after March 1st. Can you imagine hiring someone without HC experience (Dennison???) installing a playbook in perhaps 10-14 days in September? I can't. In fact, I expect Denver to have another down year next because of the shortened season. But I do expect with Fox in charge we will have a better D-line and will not get blown out +20 points at home.

  • robtink242

    you know what i feel you on your views.. but i really hope we stay a 3-4 defense.. mainly because of the strengths Doom gave our defense.. Doom is extremely talented but he is no way a Peppers.. fairly does sound nice.. Robert Ayers should be a 3-4 end where his can truly shine seeing that he is strong enough and has the body size.. this is going to be interesting would love to see how we approach free agency and the draft.. i say sing Asomugha and Champ..

  • robtink242

    are u speaking in parables cause i'm lost.. i meant 1000+ yard rusher

  • Daniel R Bogart

    At least Fox will help Moreno lose his mangina when he runs the football! Unfortunately, Fox won't survive the wait for a playoff ready Tebow and defense. Good gap hire.

  • CJ

    Hahaha i second moreno having a Mangina!

  • Dakota Fan

    I knew that was coming. Will Mora Sr. ever live that rant down? I love it.

  • Ic_bronco7

    Im happy with the hire great things to come from fox since his DF of minded…should be a good draft defencively

  • NMBronc

    Key word there was OK with. I would, of course, prefer somebody really awesome.

  • NMBronc

    Good DC choice, but who for OC? Someone young and good with QB's.

  • NMBronc

    Agreed. Go get Weddle (S), Dhani Jones and Hightower from AZ. OH Yeah, and resign Champ.

  • Dakota Fan

    Never was a huge fan of Bill Williamson, but his blog post on espn.com is a good read.

    http://espn.go.com/blog/afcwes

    Makes me feel better about the decision to hire Fox in the first place. Sounds like he just wants to coach football and not worry about GM duties- good deal…

  • NMBronc

    Mora Jr. is a 3-4 Guy, if that rumor is true.

  • NMBronc

    Moreno manned up and ran mush tougher the last few games. His only issue now is staying on the field.

  • Kellyleephipps

    Diehard Elway and Denver Broncos fan here, formerly known on here as Kelly in Caroline. I just spent the last ten years of my life in Asheville, North Carolina, and grew to become a reluctant Panthers fan, but when they went to the Superbowl and almost won, it was amazing. I loved the defensive pound the rock philosophy….and then this summer I decided to move back to Boulder, and then ride my bicycle 3128 miles through WY, MT, ID, BC,WA, OR, and am holing up for the winter here in Chico CA. I caught every game on my bike, and the common theme of heartache every game it seemed was watching our porous defense let long running plays go through us like swiss cheese. This my friends is an amazing hire, and even more so because of Foxes worst season ever..because he is a winner and he took one to the jaw last year…and he will get back up strong, he will draft defense, defense, defense, and we will be dominant next year, especially if he learns from his mistakes of overly conservative offenses. With TEBOW I don't see how we can get conservative…every play he is under center, I get excited because I now anything could happen. Folks, we are going back to the playoffs next year as Fox redeems himself. There's nothing you want more than a champion on your side who is on the comeback trail! WOOO HOO!

    Kelly the Traveling Magi

  • LevonZevon

    Doom wasn't a good fit at OLB either (as he couldn't cover as well as you'd expect with his small hips and he couldn't stuff the run either).

    He only has one pass-rush move, so we need someone bulky and stout enough to do bull-rushes and/or spin-moves across from him (and that requires more lower-body strength than Ayers seems to have).

    If Mora Jr. is the new D.C.– instead of my fave Rob Ryan… who can get more of out less and won't require switching to a 4-3 in a lockout-shortened year– we ought to trade Ayers to a team like Atlanta (that may view him as a potential John Abraham with enough coaching and experience).

    Then sign LeMarr Woodley to play opposite Doom if we stay in a 3-4. I also think the run-stuffing and power-producing Cameron Heyward could switch to 3-4 or thrive in the 4-3 (especially if Carolina passes on AJ Green and snags Fairley away at #1 overall and we trade down).

    With the added picks we could get for Ayers, Orton and maybe even D.J. and Kuper, we could end up with a top-ten selection and a top-15 selection in the first-round too plus multiple picks in rounds two and three to re-stock positions like TE and RB too).

    Perhaps that second choice could be Prince Akanamura (sp?) at CB or even RG Mike Pouncey (to provide the power and pulling that the over-rated Chris “the marshmallow” Kuper never does).

    Kuper could be attractive to a team looking for zone-blocking linemen like Houston or Washington and we could use the freedom from his re-signed salary and gain yet another third-rounder in exchange for him.

    McD was forced to agree to re-sign Kuper, what with all the O-line turmoil around him going into 2010.

    But Fox probably wants to get a strong Tony Jones-type veteran to immediately step in at right-tackle (so bringing Pouncey in could solidify the troubled right-side of the line to the left of Harris' replacement).

    Fox was great five years ago when he had Rucker and Peppers surrounding Buckney and Jenkins. But, at least, he realizes that it wasn't any offensive play-calling genius that got him those laurels (as he saw what happened without them).

    So I hope he loosens up the reins and lets a less blitz-averse Defensive-Coordinator light a fire under the defense (until we can supply that decades-long missing naturally-supplied pass-rush from the front four that immediately needs assembling).

    If Doom is back, blitzing through the “B” gap besides him is especially called for considering the wide-stance offensive-tackles set up with opposite the solely speed-rushing Dumervil (and his mostly 4-seconds-plus “coverage sacks” that way-too-comfortable QB's surrendered while leisurely gazing through all their reads down-field).

    Too bad, Fox won't begin outside his comfort-zone and let us stay at the 3-4 in this lockout-shortened year (especially so we can finally have it run by a non-puppet defensive-cooridnator who can fire up the home crowd by finally demonstrating the advantages of a more-easily disguised zone-blitz-reliant package). I had hoped McD would let us see these 3-4 zone-blitz advantages, but he was as conservative as Shanny in this regard (since both were play-callers who got too used to the few great QB's who could overcome extra pass-rushers).

  • LevonZevon

    I wish you were correct. But Atlanta and Seattle ran 4-3's under Mora Jr., right?

  • LevonZevon

    McCoy staying for another campaign could especially help Tebow's development from getting sidetracked (like another slow-delivery QB Jason Campbell's was).

    In a possible-lockout, we can't already have another arm tied behind our backs with a new staff and new play-calling system and language to learn. We need to assess how much Tebow can improve physically (as I assume he'll eventually learn the reads and mental part of the game in time).

    Let McCoy have a season to show what he would call without McD looking to scapegoat him every time something goes wrong (and let Tebow show what he's capable of in the always-critical sophomore campaign).

  • Laramiefan

    If Champ is not signed by the Broncos Shanahan will be there in a second and will also try to sign a certain free agent away from the Raiders to complement Champ. That my friends will hurt both the Broncos and the Raiders , more so the Raiders . This of course is just speculation .

  • Doom92

    Man I tell you what… The Broncos need to fire everyone in their front office and hire half of you guys…LMAO!!! You guys know so much more than they ever could.

    When Fox and whom ever else they bring in as Coords turn this thing around I want some of you to come eat your crow… But of course you wont, none of you ever do!!!!!

  • Doom92

    Kerry… You have finally made a statement that I 100% agree with. And it does seem weird that some of these nay-sayers are the same people that dogged me for hating on McFly…

    Things that make you go “Hmmmm”

  • NMBronc

    You are correct. Read an article that was incorrect. hhhmmm..

  • Adrenaline27

    LOL 98 well 99 comments now. DANG

  • 5280

    good enough. i would have preferred to see them wait it out and try and get some one without such a long drout between playoff seasons. Fox hasn't done any thing with carolina in awhile. yes he took them to a super bowl but that was years ago. that tells me that once he turns the team around he'll go into a slunp and we'll be looking for another coach in a couple of years. i want some one there for the long haul and some one who makes us consistantly good for at least a decade. of course theres the excuse that he didn't have a good GM in carolina backing him, but i dont know if i would put everything on the GM. all and all im pretty happy with the pick. i agree with most of you about the OC situation though. if fox couldn't figure out how to utilize steve smith the whole time he was in carolina then what exactly is he gonna do dor our offence? but thats okay becaue Elway has final say and if Elway feels like the OC should take care of the offence for the most part then that willsew up any questions about how the Offence will work. Wink seriously needs to get gone. he is a horrible DC. We need a good more aggressive DC who has a history of rebuilding good defences. not some second year linebackers coach who failed miserably the first time around. I dont want McCoy to stay either but i underatnd the logic behind keeping him. They shouldn't disrupt Tebow's learning process any more then they have to. plus Mccoy is being considered by other teams for their OC positions. i do think we need to keep ben McD around. he seems to be doing very well with Tebow. but i really think elway should make a move for rob ryan as DC. that would keep the D consistant.