Report: Broncos to Induct Coach Mike Shanahan into Ring of Fame
After many years of 'close but no cigar' living, Mike Shanahan arrived in the Mile High City and finally got the Denver Broncos over the hump. Shanahan coached the Broncos from 1995-2008, leading the team to back-to-back World Championships in 1997 and 1998. This came after two previous stints in Denver as an assistant coach with the Broncos (1984-87, ’89-91).
Although he served as a head coach before Denver, with the Los Angeles Raiders, and after, with the Washington Redskins, Shanahan will always be known indelibly as a Bronco. He is the greatest head coach in team history.
This is why Shanahan belongs not only in the team's Ring of Fame but he's also more-than-deserving of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Broncos can help Shanahan get there but it starts with enshrining the coach in the Ring of Fame.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, that will happen soon, though the ceremony won't take place until 2021 due to COVID-19. The Broncos have since confirmed Schefter's report. Shanahan has been elected to the Ring of Fame.
Team President and CEO Joe Ellis released a statement on Shanahan's Ring-of-Fame election.
“Mike Shanahan is the greatest coach in Denver Broncos history and among the winningest coaches of all-time. He brought an unmatched standard and intensity as head coach, leading this franchise to its first two Super Bowl wins and building the Broncos into perennial contenders. Few coaches have had more of an impact with one organization—as both a head coach and assistant—than Mike Shanahan over the course of his two decades with the Broncos.
“We are thrilled that Mike has now been elected to the Broncos’ Ring of Fame. Although postponing his induction was a difficult decision, he deserves a full celebration in front of all of our fans and distinguished alumni. Along with our fans, we can’t wait to honor Coach Shanahan during our Ring of Fame and alumni weekend in 2021.”
Only 14 head coaches in NFL history have won more games than Mike Shanahan. Shanahan's 170-138 (.552) head-coaching record ranks him No. 15 all-time. Counting playoffs, Shanahan has 178 career wins and an 8-6 playoff record.
Shanahan is also in an uber-elite fraternity of NFL coaches who've won at least two Super Bowls, and when you factor in that Mike did so back-to-back, that list shrinks even more. He hasn't coached in the NFL since 2013 and yet, he hasn't even sniffed consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
However, with former head coaches Bill Cowher and Jimmy Johnson getting enshrined in Canton, OH, in the class of 2020, momentum could be shifting Shanahan's way. If it were up to Cowher, who won a single World Championship while leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to two Super Bowl appearances, Shanahan would be in the Hall.
“Mike Shanahan belongs in the Hall of Fame," Cowher said back in February. "I’ve said it, the two toughest coaches I had the hardest time preparing against were Bill Belichick and Mike Shanahan.”
If Cowher can get in the Hall, there's absolutely no reason why Shanahan shouldn't be. Cowher didn't revolutionize the game. Shanahan did by virtue of his slant on the West Coast Offense and the prolific rise of his zone-blocking scheme, which spawned several break-offs around the NFL, most notably Gary Kubiak and his son Kyle Shanahan.
Shanahan won two Super Bowls. Cowher won just one but he had to get through Shanahan's Broncos in the 2005 AFC Championship game to get there. For what it's worth, I'm not saying Cowher doesn't belong in the Hall. I can see it.
But Shanahan is more deserving, if we're being frank. And if the he'd coached to over 150 wins and back-to-back Super Bowl titles had been in Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Dallas, New York, San Francisco, or Chicago, he would already be in the Hall. Let's face it.
What he achieved, assembling the arsenal that finally got long-suffering quarterback John Elway over the hump in Super Bowl XXXII, was remarkable. The Shanahan-led Broncos would win it all again the next year, successfully defending their World Championship in Super Bowl XXXIII. Elway would retire a back-to-back champion having appeared in a whopping five Super Bowls.
Shanahan carried on in the post-Elway era, having hit-and-miss success with the likes of QB Brian Griese, before finally getting the Broncos back into perennial playoff contention after acquiring Jake Plummer. From 2003-05, the Broncos challenged in the Conference but were headed off by Peyton Manning in the Wildcard Round the first two years.
Things ended in an ugly way for Shanahan in Denver but it shouldn't diminish what he accomplished in his 14 seasons as the head man. It's good to see the team as-is finally recognizing his accomplishments and impact.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
