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Published on 12/30/2008 at Tue Dec 30 15:32.
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Denver Broncos Fire Mike Shanahan

Posted Tue Dec 30th by

Mike Shanahan

Mike Shanahan is no longer the Head Coach of the Denver Broncos.

Owner Pat Bowlen announced that he has fired Shanahan, who also serves as Executive Vice President of Football Operations, effective immediately, after an 8-8 season and missing the playoffs for the third straight year.

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen issued the following statement: “After giving this careful consideration, I have concluded that a change in our football operations is in the best interests of the Denver Broncos. This is certainly a difficult decision, but one that I feel must be made and which will ultimately be in the best interests of all concerned.”

Bowlen added, “I appreciate the 21 years that Mike Shanahan has given to the organization as an assistant and head coach, and the two Super Bowl wins in that time. His contributions hold a special place in Broncos history.”

Bowlen and Shanahan will both address the media at 11am tomorrow.

Wow. I’m floored. I thought, for certain, Shanahan had one year left at least. Huge, huge news.

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  • http://broncotalk.net Kyle

    Adam Schefter of NFL.com on Cowher: “Cowher’s refusal to take the Jets job, or any other, has nothing to do with the front office structure in New York or anywhere else. It has everything to do with Cowher’s desire to coach again. Quite frankly, it’s not there right now.

    He will not coach this season and — attention NFL owners who might be making coaching changes in 2009 — there’s every chance he will not coach next season, as well.

    He is enjoying his new scaled-back, family-driven, TV-working life where he can take more piano lessons than he imagined. He doesn’t have to put in the hours he did coaching the Steelers. He always reserves the right to change his mind, but he’s not changing it now.

    Cowher’s not coming back. Not for the 2009 season. Put that in headlines.”

  • Riverscanbl&wme

    Wow, I’m shocked but I think Shannahan had become too predictable. If we ran one more bubble screen I was going to slit my throat. There are a lot of good coaches and I think more than anything we just needed a change in scenery. The message got old and now a new philosophy can push this talented team to the next level. We can get a GM that knows talent and doesn’t select a George Foster with the 20th pick in the draft when you could have gotten him in the third. Mike thought he was smatter than everybody else but he hasn’t proven it sense he had Elway and TD.

  • merc22

    IM SURE BOWLEN ALREADY HAS SOMEONE IN MIND BEFORE THEY MADE THIS DECISION

  • T-Money

    Jim Schwartz is to expensive. Scott Pioli will go head coach not GM

  • T-Money

    KEEP IN MIND THAT WE DON’T HAVE THE MONEY TO SPEND ON ANYONE!

  • BroncoFan18

    TERRINBLE DECISION!!!! THIS GUY BUILT OUR OFFENSE FROM THE GROUND UP! TERRIBLE!! IT WAS SLOWIK THAT NEEDED TO GO NOT SHANNAHAN. I GUARANTEE YOU WE REGRET THIS IN THE COMING YEARS! IT WILL COME BACK TO BITE US, YOU JUST WAIT…

  • T-Money

    Can anybody say 2-14

  • olen

    When you are pinned down by the enemy and not knowing what to do, are you scared stiff and let everything get overrun or do you take a brave step forward and try to defend . Well, right now our ” defense” needs to win the battle. Mike is one of the greatest of coaches in the NFL . Yes ,it is a scary move .Football is basically a business of entertainment . The Broncos were almost predictable in the last game against San Diego . Do we get someone and hope their enthusiasm and new ideas bring on something better for the broncos or does the Bronco organization keep on showing the same movies. How much worse can it get for the team next year when we play almost all of the big boys . The best is even with a perfect draft is 8 and 8 . I t will take a new coach at least one year to get things going. If we play a team that Mike coaches it is only one game and not the end of the world if he wins . Denver will always love Mike no matter where he ends up . My point is that it was regretable but possibly a needed move since the team has been very predictable in their plays.

  • http://twitter.com/jdbridgman jdb

    I knew Bowlen would have a reaction, but that was swift. I’ve been in Shanahan’s camp for a long time, so I’m sad to see him go. But, last offseason, he fired anyone who could take the blame, and he fully accepted responsibility for the team. So, when a head must roll, it’s his.

    Think Mike Holmgren would be interested?

  • RHansen

    Interesting. I am a bit numb as we are now entering uncharted territory. But excited as well. One thing that was glaringly obvious was the lack of heart and desire in the team. I cant help but think of one person who can let everyone know why they are there and that is Bill Parcells. Just a thought. Make that mean old man GM. As for coach? Not sure, but certainly someone younger, who has a fire to win, someone with creativity. Kubiak would make an interesting hire, thats for sure.

  • TR

    I believe Bowlen made a huge blunder firing Shanahan. Bowlen needs to spend less time listening to the local newspaper columnists.

    To those who think Kubiak is a candidate to replace Shanahan, why would Kubiak leave a coaching job in his home town with a team that arguably has more talent than the Broncos?

  • http://mrherculesrockefeller.blogspot.com hercules rockefeller

    Bad move. You have to give him one more year with this O.

    Bowlen needs to go hard after Josh McDaniels. Screw Spagnuola. You need an offensive guy when you’re stacked on that side of the ball.

  • GrahamSlam89

    Bill Cowher or Kubiak for HC keep Bates and Bobby Turner fire everyone else shit can the defense and start from scratch on that side of the ball.

  • david

    Jay Cutler, B-Marsh, Royal With Cheese, Tony Scheff, Jamie Windborn, Champ Bailey…now with running backs. Ryan Torain, Peyton Hillis, Tatum Bell (sucks *cough*), Andre Hall, Micheal Pittman…hello, the talent is there, now, 2009 will bring yet another *transition* year….way to let our supurb talent go to waste. After that we lose Marshall….Jay Cutler needs to be unleashed, not laid to waste in multiple transition years….I think this was a bad idea

  • http://mrherculesrockefeller.blogspot.com hercules rockefeller

    Reading some of these comments, let me just say this:

    You can’t hire a guy for a lateral position who is already under contract with another team, unless you’re giving up compensation (draft picks and cash usually). It would take a ton of both to get Kubiak.

    Spagnuola will have his choice of head coaching jobs this offseason, he sure as hell isn’t going to make a lateral move across the country to be our D coordinator.

  • http://broncotalk.net Kyle

    I agree with you 1000% Herc. McDaniels is the guy I’m thinking. Getting Pioli wouldn’t be a bad idea, too (a little New England in Denver).

    Worst three days ever?

  • http://mrherculesrockefeller.blogspot.com hercules rockefeller

    Close, Kyle.

    Bad frickin’ times, man.

  • Jordan C

    I wonder if Bowlen felt that a stronger-willed defensive coordinator was needed, but Shanahan’s style only had room for one strong-willed personality (himself). As you might have noticed, Slowik is the quiet type. The offense will be good for at least a few years as long as they can stay focused. Promoting Dennison or Bates to the head coaching position would allow for offensive consistency while also allowing a stronger defensive coordinator to come in and kick some butt. Of the “proven” current or former defensive coordinators out there that aren’t going to be head coaches soon (Spagnuolo, Schwartz, Mangini), Mike Nolan appears to be the best candidate. My hesitation is that he had some chemistry problems in San Fransisco. I would love to land one of the others that I named, but I don’t think that they’ll accept anything short of head coach.

    Given the past three drafts (two good ones), we may need to promote one of the internal guys to GM.

  • olen

    Shannahan is not owed any money once he accepts another job.

  • RHansen

    Good point about Kubiak Herc. A successful transition though does start with a strong GM, to handle the rebuilding of the D. I do think there is a bit of a question mark @ RB (but I do love Hillis).

  • Kurt

    Just please don’t bring in Jimmy Johnson (the slimeball) or Marty (dude can’t win the big one)! I would think Mr. Bowen would already have someone in mind but you never know. We probably can’t afford much and I would not be surprised to see a college coach (Urban Meyer?). Makes you think about Shanny’s playoff guarantee. He probably knew he was out if they did not make it.

  • Mike

    This is a bad move,period! I could understand making Mike share the football operations duties and get help in aquiring defensive help, but to can him after he has gotten the offense on track. just stupid.
    And the last profile I want to see on Sundays in Denver is Cowher’s. Get real,, people

  • T-Money

    Gary is staying in Huston. No question.

    I think I just died a little inside

  • http://yahoo Clarkbar

    This sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!! P/O right now!!!!!!!!!!!

  • http://mrherculesrockefeller.blogspot.com hercules rockefeller

    Urban Meyer? Intriguing!

    Is Red Miller still alive?

  • http://twitter.com/jdbridgman jdb

    @Kyle Thanks for the Adam Schefter article. He’s ONE reporter who gets the story right, so we can probably stop the Cowher rumors now.

    The big question is: where will Mike go? Regardless of how we’ve performed, another NFL team just got a gift.

  • olen

    When was the last time anyone has seen Shanahan have that wild eyed pissed off look during a game ? I do not remember seeing it for a while , more of a tranquil look lately.

  • Rich

    I can’t believe it! What is pat Bowlen thinking? Mike was the heart and soul of our team that also fielded its youngest team in years. What with all the injuries to the rb’s, lb’s, db’s we were lucky to get to 8-8. I was looking forward next year with this young team, but with a new coach, who knows? If I was Mike I would go to KC when they fire Herm Edwards.

  • kerry

    T-money:

    thats the best you got?? “im an idiot, who would i bring in”?? come on man. you just cant stand the fact that i was right and you and the other shanny lemmings were wrong.

    but ill humor you.

    Jim Schwartz, Rob Ryan, Steve Spagnolo are just a few. but a DEFENSIVE minded coach is needed. and Scott Pioli isnt gonna be a head coach. dont be retarded. he is a GM. Scott Pioli would be perfect at GM and Jim Schwartz would be excellent. hopefull Dennison is kept to run the west coast offense and the zone blocking scheme. other then that a defensive minded coach is needed!!

  • TR

    Bowlen had a plan when he fired Dan Reeves, but ended up settling for Wade Phillips.

  • steve

    damn! thank you shanahan for all the years youve been here. couldnt be sadder to see you leave.

    here’s my dream coaching lineup next year:

    head coach: Bill Cowher
    off coordinator: Jeremy Bates
    def coordinator: Romeo Crennel

  • tgh210

    very upset to see shanahan go. i barely remember the broncos without shanahan. going forward i think a defensive oriented coach like cowher or spagnuolo would be great for denver. i also think we should look to add a stud back like larry johnson (cause he wants out of KC) or derrick ward… and we should definitely go all out for haynesworth in free agency to shore up the d-line.

  • MIAbronco

    im with kerry on this one, we needed a change. I was sick and tired of shanny’s lackadazical approach and revolving door on DC’s.

    when shanny goes to a new team lets see if he really is a genius of a head coach and build a team from the ground up or just field above average offenses and mediocre, undersized defenses.

    everyone needs to stop saying that they should have fired slowik, because when it comes down to it shanny was making all those decisions anyway, i say good riddance and if he is successful, well, more power to him.

  • BroncoFan18

    I agree. Defensive minded is the best way to go. But don’t forget the talent we have on this offense either. We need the right person to guide them as well.

    I think Cowher would be perfect but it seems he doesn’t want to come back. So who?

    Just throwing this out there. Mike Smith? Not your household name but a good candidate.

  • AKscott

    Kyle Shanahan?? :)

  • http://broncotalk.net Kyle

    This raises about a million questions:

    Will the Broncos keep the zone blocking running scheme?

    What lies ahead for the boatload of assistant coaches? They just gave Jeremy Bates a raise so he wouldn’t flee to the college ranks; will the new head man stay?

    What player(s) will be the big surprise exit? Champ Bailey? Brandon Marshall? D.J. Williams? Hell, it’s a new coach, no one is safe. Jay Cutler?

    What about the front office? We did a “GM-by-committee” approach this year, I wonder what happens to them?

    Still floored, still waiting for someone to pinch me.

  • AKscott

    It’ll be interesting to see how this affects Jeremy Bates since he just signed an extension..
    Hopefully he sticks around to give continuity to the offense while bringing in a Defensive minded head coach, and maybe a new attitude to that side of the ball.
    Im shocked!

  • RHansen

    I would not be surprised to see any of those names absent from next seasons roster, Kyle. Not Cutler, but Bailey and Williams I could see. My gut tells me Bailey will never be the same.

  • DepressedSF

    Credit goes to Bowlen. This had to be difficult and it shows that he wants to win. That’s an owner I believe in. Landry, Seifert, Walsh, Cowher, they all move on, and the teams will thrive later. Better now and move on.

  • david

    losing bmarsh would suck more than shan getting fired

  • JR

    Some of you aren’t old enough to remember what it was like prior to the Shanahan Broncos. Well guess what, we are right back there again! Yes the eam did shoot themself in the foot several times, ok most every week this season…. But by firing Mike, we just shot ourselves in the Head.

  • Bucky

    you gotta give it up to kerry, i have been hatin on him all year, but here is the one time i will give you props dude. live it up. hope we don’t go Cower, he went out on top, but it took him a hell of a long time to get there… i like kerrys first recomendation, sounds good to me. heres hoping for an Atlanta/Miami/Baltimore affect from this change.

  • AKscott

    im gonna say i think i agree with kerry.. as much as i appreciate what shanny did while he was here, maybe a change of scenery will be good for all. Coaches get burnt out, as do players become complacent in a system or situation. We need someone to light a fire under that god awful horrible defense, and shanny hasnt done that.
    Best of luck to shanny moving forward, hopefully we’re doing the right thing here

  • tgh210

    i think the zone blocking run scheme will most likely go…shanahan was the mastermind behind that. given that, we need to get a top tier rb to pick up the slack of a new running game. i have a lot of faith in cutler and his potential.. but he’ll never get there if there’s no run game.

  • Kev

    A sad day for Bronco fans. Mike has been ,and still is a great coach. I would have liked to seen the defense completely dismantled, and Mike at least another year to work with a defense that plays with heart.

    Those of us who have been Bronco fans for years know about the heart we have been use to seeing in a proud franchise that has thrived on good “D”. Remembe the Orange Crush?

    Good “D” wins games. Good “D” wins championships.

    Guess we can only look forward at this point. I wish Mike the best, jbut ust hope he does not coach in the AFC West.

    Bring on Kubiak, and even wonder if anyone has thought about JOHN ELWAY.

  • Dakota fan

    Wow. I feel like I just lost a member of the family. For those of us who rely on this team for entertainment and count down the days to the start of the next training camp, this is a shocker.

    Thanks Mike. Despite the personal vendetta that the haters have against him, he made the Broncos the premier sports franchise in this town by bringing us the two Super Bowls. I waited for 25 years to see a Lombardi trophy hoisted in Denver, and between him and #7, they gave us two. I wish him only the best.

    Kyle, you’ve treated this matter with class, and that’s why broncotalk.net is my main Broncos’ site.

    Tomorrow and in the coming weeks, I’ll speculate about the future. For now, I’m reminiscing about the past with a heavy heart. The days of Elway, Rod, TD and the glory years are now officially over.

  • flbronc

    kyle i had the same thought about the blocking scheme when i was running out to grab some dinner. our line is young, and very good and under contract for a while. it will be a shame to have to scrap that unit.

  • BC

    Wow…Cowher, what a fit. Chance to really move in and make a difference right away. Here he has a good to great young and athletic quarterback. Jets…he has a has been. Good offensive too;s to be tuned. A defense that needs work but that is his strong point.

    Please…please…please say that Marty is not in contension…Maybe to clean up after the horse but that is all. He has never had a good idea and always looses the big one.

  • broncobilly32

    Cowher or Holmgren! Come on, we have serious opportunity here. Shanny picked the players and fired the d-coordinators, those were his decisions. I love Shanny, I am grateful for him, but it is time. Go Broncos!

  • http://merlinofchaos.livejournal.com E. Halsey Miles

    Well, I guess this ends the fire Shanahan conversation pretty succinctly.

    I personally hate to see Shanahan go but I can’t fault the logic. This was a bad, bad season. Was it 4 or 5 blowouts? And some pretty ignominious records set. Still, I think he deserved one more year.

    It’s going to be weird to see the Broncos coached by someone else.

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