Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak resigns

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak has resigned amid concerns about his health.

Author:
SI Wire
Publish date:
Jan 1, 2017

Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak has resigned, the team announced Monday.

Kubiak's family is concerned about his health, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday, as he has had several incidents in recent years to cause him to miss games.

Kubiak told his players after Sunday’s game that he was stepping away after two seasons with the team.

“As I told our team last night, this is an extremely difficult decision to step down as head coach. I love to work and I love football, but ultimately the demands of the job are no longer a good fit for me,” Kubiak said in a statement. “I gave everything I had to this team the last two seasons, but this year, in particular, has been tough on me. As hard as it is to leave this position, I know that it’s the best thing for myself, my family and the Denver Broncos.”

Kubiak was hospitalized after a Week 5 loss against the Atlanta Falcons and diagnosed with a complex migraine condition. He did not coach the following Thursday night game against the San Diego Chargers.

GALLERY: WHEN NFL PLAYERS WERE COACHES

When NFL Coaches Were Players

Gary Kubiak

Heinz Kluetmeier; Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire

Drafted by the Broncos in the eighth round of the 1983 NFL draft, Gary Kubiak served as John Elway's backup for his entire career. After Kubiak retired, it seemed like his coaching career would follow a similar pattern. He served as the offense coordinator in Denver for 11 years, but in 2006 he was named the second head coach in Houston Texans history. On Dec. 6, 2013, Kubiak was fired after eight years in Houston (61-64), but Denver brought him back home when he signed a four-year deal to become their head coach in 2015. Kubiak's Broncos went on to win Super Bowl 50, 24-10 over the Panthers.

Jack Del Rio

Joseph Patronite, Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Drafted by the Saints in the third round of the 1985 NFL draft, Jack Del Rio played with four teams over 11 seasons and made the 1994 Pro Bowl with the Vikings. A ferocious linebacker in his playing days, Jack Del Rio brought the same intensity to the sidelines as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003-11. After three years as Denver's defensive coordinator, Del Rio was named Oakland's head coach in 2015.

Todd Bowles

Todd Bowles played safety for eight NFL seasons, seven with the Redskins, and started in Super Bowl XXII. Bowles had 15 career interceptions, seven fumble recoveries and two sacks. After two seasons as Arizona's defensive coordinator (2013-14), Bowles signed a four-year deal to become the head coach of the New York Jets in 2015.

Ron Rivera

Berstein Associates/Getty Images; Simon Bruty

The linebacker out of Cal was selected in the second round of the 1984 draft by the Bears. Despite spending nine seasons in Chicago as a player, Ron Rivera's time as a coach there did not end well. After elevating the Bears' defense to an elite level as the defensive coordinator, Rivera was a hot coaching candidate in 2006. When no other team hired him, the Bears cut their losses, announcing they would not renew Rivera's contract. Rivera landed on his feet as an assistant coach in San Diego, and in 2011 he was named head coach of the Carolina Panthers. In 2015, Rivera led the Panthers to a league-best 15-1 record, and to Super Bowl 50 where his team lost to the Broncos, 24-10.

Jason Garrett

Largely a backup for his entire career, Jason Garrett enjoyed his career highlight in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day 1994. Garrett led the Cowboys to a come-from-behind victory over the Packers, finishing with 311 passing yards and two touchdowns. When he was named the interim head coach of the Cowboys on Nov. 8, 2010, Garrett piloted a similarly shocking upset: a 33-20 victory over the favored New York Giants at the Meadowlands. He has remained the head coach ever since.

Doug Pederson

Al Bello/Getty Images; Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire

Doug Pederson played quarterback professionally for 12 years, most notably as Brett Favre’s backup in Green Bay. While playing for the Eagles in 1999, he served as a temporary starter ahead of rookie Donovan McNabb. Pederson later joined their coaching staff in 2009, beginning as offensive quality control coach and then serving as quarterbacks coach from 2011-2012. He followed Andy Reid to Kansas City after the head coach parted ways with the Eagles in 2012, working as offensive coordinator for the Chiefs from 2013-15. The Eagles hired Pederson to replace Chip Kelly as the team's head coach in 2016.

Sean Payton

Undrafted quarterback Sean Payton toiled in the AFL and CFL before catching on with the Bears during the 1987 NFL players strike. His road to a head coaching job was less circuitous, as he rose from quarterback coach to head coach in fewer than 10 years. He led the New Orleans Saints to their first championship with a 31-17 victory over the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

During a game against the Indianapolis Colts in the 2013 season, Kubiak, who was then the coach of the Houston Texans, suffered a transient ischemic attack, otherwise known as a "mini-stroke," during halftime of that game. He spent two nights in the hospital before being released.

Denver won its season finale with a 24–6 victory over the Oakland Raiders. Kubiak confirmed in his postgame press conference that he addressed his future with the players after the game but did not elaborate.

Kubiak, 55, has a 20–11 record as a head coach with the Broncos, leading the team to a Super Bowl title in his first season. With the Texans, Kubiak had 61–66 mark with two playoff appearances in eight seasons in Houston.

- Scooby Axson