rest - https://www.denverbroncos.com/news/b...h-john-ralstonJohn Ralston, the former Broncos head coach and general manager who led the franchise to its first winning season, died at the age of 92 on Saturday, Sept. 14.
Ralston’s tenure, which began with the 1972 season, signaled a shift in the Broncos’ fortune. Prior to his arrival, the team had a .304 win percentage and a reputation as a cellar-dweller in the fledgling American Football League and, after the AFL-NFL merger, in the NFL, too. But over the course of the next five years, Ralston led them to win 50.7 percent of their games.
The franchise reached new heights with Ralston as head coach, including the team's first winning season in 1973 and a then-franchise-record nine wins in 1976. For his efforts in 1973, Ralston was named AFC Coach of the Year by the AP, UPI and PFWA.