By Jordan Long
The Gary Kubiak coaching tenure in Denver is over. Kubiak, who had been the Denver Broncos’ Head Coach the last two seasons, decided it was time to walk away from coaching due to his health. Here are my memories of his time in Denver.
I will never forget Kubiak being the offensive coordinator during the Broncos back-to-back Super Bowl victories in 1998 and 1999. The way he coached the offense took pressure off of quarterback John Elway to be the only playmaker by running the football with Terrell Davis. Throughout those two seasons, the running game tired out the opponents’ defense and allowed the Broncos’ offense to work the clock to gain yards and score points. I knew then that Kubiak might have a future as the head coach of an NFL team, but I was hoping it would be with the Broncos when the Mike Shanahan era was over in Denver.
His first head-coaching job was with the Houston Texans in 2006. It was bittersweet to see him go to the Texans because he was a decent offensive coordinator. I was hoping to see him be successful in Houston. Kubiak was in Houston for eight years and guided the Texans to a record of 61-64 with two playoff appearances. Those came in 2011 and 2012. Both years the Texans were knocked off in the Divisional Round. Kubiak was fired after a 2-11 start in 2013 but wasn’t out of work for long. Kubiak coached the Baltimore Ravens the next season as the offensive coordinator.
The Denver Broncos were looking for a Head Coach prior to the 2015 season. John Fox was let go after another disappointing playoff loss, this time to the Indianapolis Colts 24-19 in the Divisional Round. Elway decided it was time for a change. When that occurred, only one name came to my mind, Kubiak. Kubiak was hired by the Denver Broncos on January 15, 2015. Elway wanted to give quarterback Peyton Manning a Super Bowl ring while in Denver. With Kubiak as Head Coach, Denver went on to win Super Bowl 50 in Peyton Manning’s last game. This season they went 9-7, missing the playoffs.
It was time for Kubiak to step away because of his health. In week 9 of the 2013 season with the Texans, he collapsed at halftime in a game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans lost that game 27-24. Kubiak was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a mini stroke. This year he went to the hospital after the Broncos lost to the Atlanta Falcons 23-16 on October 9th. He suffered a complex migraine. I am glad he decided to retire before something worse happened to him.
It is sad to see Kubiak retire. He will always be a part of the Denver Broncos organization. The Broncos will miss his leadership on the sideline.
What are your memories of Gary Kubiak?
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