John Elway believed he needed a new coach to get the Denver Broncos to the "next level." The executive vice president trusts his former backup quarterback to take them to that promised land.
The Broncos announced Monday that Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak has been hired as Denver's new head coach on a four year-deal.
Denver will host a press conference Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET to introduce Kubiak.
The 53-year-old Kubiak emerged as Elway's top choice since the team parted ways with John Fox after a disastrous playoff exit. Kubiak spent his entire nine-year playing career as a backup quarterback to Elway in Denver.
In Kubiak, Elway has found a close confidante that believes in similar philosophies. That starts with a dynamic running game and zone-blocking scheme that helped Elway win two titles as a player. In Denver, Houston and then Baltimore, Kubiak's scheme has helped running backs produce massive numbers.
With C.J. Anderson, Ronnie Hillman and Montee Ball on the Broncos roster, Kubiak should have plenty of options to ride in Denver. NFL Media's Albert Breer reports Kubiak will likely hire Ravens quarterbacks coach Rick Dennison as the Broncos' offensive coordinator. There's also a good possibility Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph will become the Broncos' defensive coordinator, per Breer.
After a year coaching quarterbacks in San Francisco, Kubiak followed Mike Shanahan to Denver where he spent 11 seasons as the team's offensive coordinator. The coordinator helped Elway capture two Super Bowl Championships in 1997 and 1998.
In eight seasons in Houston, Kubiak compiled a 61-64 regular-season record. Just three of Kubiak's teams in Houston earned a record above .500. However, he led the Texans to two playoff victories in franchise history and 10-plus wins in 2011 and 2012.
The bigger question mark is at quarterback, where all eyes will be on Peyton Manning's decision regarding his future. The 38-year-old quarterback doesn't have the mobility generally needed to run Kubiak's West Coast style of offense, but any decent coach would welcome tailoring his offense to a future Hall of Fame quarterback.
While Manning's decision is pivotal, Elway still has a roster built to win now. He didn't view Fox as the man to push them over that hill and onto the Super Bowl platform. He trusts Kubiak can.
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