Having been a Broncos fan for more than 35 years now, I wanted to pay one last tribute to Mike Shanahan, the greatest coach in franchise history. Prior to his regime, Denver had accumulated just 15 winning seasons in the prior 35 years. They had 4 Super Bowl appearances, losing them all by a combined score of 163-50. Hall of Fame QB John Elway's window of opportunity to win a championship was growing ever narrower, and Broncos fans were filled with frustration.
Enter Mike Shanahan. He took over the reigns as Head Coach and GM following the 1994-95 season. Fans and players were familiar with Mike, as he had served the Broncos as QB coach in 1984-85, and 1989-91. He was also the Offensive Coordinator from 1986-1987. Fresh off of his Super Bowl win as Offensive Coordinator for the San Francisco 49'ers, Shanahan made his return to the Mile High City.
1995 was a building year, but the foundation was being established. The Broncos finished at 8-8. The next season, the Broncos improved to 13-3 but were shocked in the playoffs with a home loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The next 2 seasons brought Super Bowl victories and a winning tradition to Denver. Shanahan would finish his Head Coaching career in Denver with a regular season record of 138-86, a playoff record of 8-5, and a Super Bowl record of 2-0.
Though some fans will point to his errors in personnel aquisitions from free agency and the draft as his downfall, I will always remember the moves that helped this team to 2 championships and ended our string of Super Bowl humiliations. Without free agents like Neil Smith, Keith Traylor, Alfred Williams, Bill Romonawski, and Mark Schlereth, the main legacy of this franchise might still be that of Super Bowl doormats. There were many mistakes in the draft, but I will remember guys like Tom Nalen, Al Wilson, Dan Niel, Trevor Pryce, and of course, Terrell Davis.
I cannot speak for all Broncos fans, so I am speaking only for myself. Thank you Mike Shanahan, for rescuing long time Broncos fans from mediocrity and humiliation. Thank you for helping John Elway to have a storybook ending to his career. Thank you for creating a new tradition here in Denver. One that not only hopes for, but demands success out of it's football franchise.
As a loyal Broncos fan, I will move on and I will cheer whole-heartedly for the new Head Coach. I hope that he can surpass the bar that you have set here for all coaches in Dever to be measured against. What I will not do however, is forget what you have accomplished during your tenure. I thank you sir, and I salute you.