Former head coach Mike Shanahan was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame Sunday against the team’s longtime rival Las Vegas Raiders. It definitely too long to get him into the Ring of Fame, but he’s also well overdue for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Shanahan was a head coach for three teams, the Raiders, Broncos, and the Washington Football Team. Over those 20 years as a head coach, Shanahan ranks 15th all-time in regular season wins with an overall record of 170-138. His win total is just two shy of Hall of Famer Bill Parcells and tied with Tom Coughlin. Those two coaches also won two Lombardi Trophies as head coaches.
The former Broncos head coach is also one of 13 head coaches to win multiple Super Bowls and nine of those head coaches are already in the Hall of Fame. (Bill Belichick is the most recent head coach to win multiple Super Bowls.)
Shanahan is also one of six head coaches to win back-to-back Super Bowls joining, Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, Chuck Noll, Jimmy Johnson, and Belichick. Four of those head coaches are already in the Hall and Belichick will head in once he is done coaching.
Hall of Famer Bill Cowher endorsed Shanahan when he was being inducted this summer saying, “Mike Shanahan deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.” Cowher added, “the two toughest coaches for me to prepare for were Bill Belichick and Mike Shanahan.”
Cowher once said that he never knew how Shanahan was going to open a game and that he once opened a game with four straight screen passes.
Shanahan beat Cowher three out of four times they faced off against each other as head coaches including the playoffs. In the postseason the coaches split the record 1-1 beating each other in the AFC Championship and eventually going on to win a Super Bowl.
Shanahan also had a winning record over arguably the greatest coach of all-time — Belichick. In nine matchups against each other, Shanahan owns a 5-4 record over Belichick.
When you think of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the people who get inducted in, there’s one saying that always is said, “He changed the game.” That goes for every player, coach, general manager, owner, and anyone else that has joined that elite club. When you think of Mike Shanahan you know that he changed the game and still has an impact on the NFL today when he’s not even coaching.
Shanahan has been placed under the Bill Walsh coaching tree with the “West Coast” offense, but as time moved forward, he updated the offense and made it his own.
Along with quick passes, Shanahan took the running game to the next level using the zone blocking scheme far more effectively than anyone else. Shanahan brought in legendary offensive line coach Alex Gibbs, and the Broncos were nearly impossible to stop in the running game.
With the success of his running game, Shanahan was able to revolutionize the play-action pass. John Elway and Jake Plummer were famous for making that play work in the 90’s and early 2000’s.
Because of the effectiveness of his zone blocking scheme, Shanahan put together 19 top-ten rushing attacks in the NFL over his 27 years as a head coach or offensive coordinator.
Former offensive tackle Tyler Polumbus played under Shanahan while in Denver and in Washington and said, “West coast football is old school. It is also invincible and will never die. When you run the ball well everything works.”
Not only was Shanahan brilliant with his schematics, but Polumbus also added, “Every play Mike ever called was with the intention of setting up the next five plays. The passing game was built off the run game and it all tied together.”
Shanahan’s scheme is still dominating in the NFL today and he hasn’t even coached since 2013. Polumbus won Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos under head coach Gary Kubiak who continued to run the Shanahan offense with an aging Peyton Manning. Polumbus added, “the offense is still highly effective today. you see it with Kyle (Shanahan), Sean (McVay), and with Matt (LaFleur).”
Those aren’t the only coaches running the “Shanahan Offense.” Kubiak had been with Shanahan dating back to their assistant coaching days with the 49ers and Broncos. Kubiak would then get the head coaching job for the Houston Texans bringing a lot of success to that franchise. After Houston, Kubiak would become the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens and help lead them to the playoffs.
When Kubiak was in Minnesota in 2019, he was an offensive assistant and advisor with Kevin Stefanski as the offensive coordinator. Stefanski then adopted the offense from Kubiak and is now running it in Cleveland as the Browns’ head coach. Kubiak’s son, Klint, is currently the offensive coordinator for the Vikings and running the same offense.
New York Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor are running the offense with their respective teams.
Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith is using an element of the offense after learning it while behind Matt Lafleur in Tennessee.
It’s clear that Shanahan’s legacy largely impacted the NFL. In his 27 seasons as a head coach or offensive coordinator, Shanahan made the playoffs 14 times. Of those 14 playoff appearances, his teams made it to the conference championship nine times with five Super Bowl appearances leading to three Lombardi Trophies (two as a head coach).
One thing did separate Shanahan from other coaches according to Polumbus. “He treated each player in a unique manner. Every player needs to be coached a bit different because we are different human beings that respond to different styles of coaching. Mike had a unique ability to know how to reach each player and know how to bring out the best in them.”
While in Denver, Shanahan coached a number of great players included several Hall of Famers. In fact, of the nine Broncos in the Pro Football Hall of Fame today, Shanahan coached seven.
“It’s obvious that Mike is a bona fide hall of famer” according to Polumbus. Added Shanahan’s former quarterback and friend John Elway (via DenverBroncos.com), “Mike was the best coach I’ve ever had.”
It’s safe to say that the next step for Mike Shanahan will be heading to Canton, Ohio to receive a gold jacket.
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