Off to beach, Shanahan plans to draw line in sand
By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published December 31, 2008 at 10:54 p.m.
Beyond his immediate plan of being on a plane pointed toward a sun-swept beach in Mexico, former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said Wednesday he believes he could be walking an NFL sideline sooner rather than later.
After 14 seasons, 146 wins, two Super Bowl victories and seven playoff appearances as Broncos coach, Shanahan was fired Tuesday.
On Wednesday, he spoke publicly for the first time and outlined his next career step.
"The next place I go to, it will be the one thing I'm thinking about, the best chance to win a championship," Shanahan said.
Detroit, the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns have openings for coaches. The Browns also do not have a general manager after Phil Savage was fired, along with coach Romeo Crennel.
Already, there were rumors swirling around the league that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, facing a new stadium to fill with a team coming off back-to-back disappointments, might position himself for a run at Shanahan.
Jones said publicly in the wake of the Cowboys' season finale that coach Wade Phillips, whom Broncos owner Pat Bowlen fired after the 1994 season to hire Shanahan, would be retained.
But that was before a two-time Super Bowl winner appeared on the market.
Shanahan, who spent part of Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning boxing up personal items in his office at the Broncos' Dove Valley complex, said he would "carefully" consider his next stop.
He also said he wouldn't rule out a college coaching job, but he considers himself "an NFL guy" and "I don't look forward to not having something to do."
Bowlen joked "I wouldn't like it if he went to Kansas City" but professed the belief Shanahan would secure another job quickly and he would be able to choose from several offers. Bowlen also said he would offer a recommendation to any team owner who wanted to hire Shanahan.
Shanahan, who said he hoped to keep a home in the Denver area, has three years remaining on his contract with the Broncos at about $7 million a year. He also has a clause in his contract that he was to be paid among the top-three head coaching salaries in the league. The Broncos would have to pay the remainder of the contract if Shanahan doesn't take another job.
"He'll be very successful, and I'll be happy for him," Bowlen said.
As far as what he is looking for now, Shanahan said, "A person that wants to win a championship as badly as you do . . . willing to go to extremes to get that done.
"Do people compete? Do they want it as badly as you?"
Published December 31, 2008 at 10:54 p.m.
Beyond his immediate plan of being on a plane pointed toward a sun-swept beach in Mexico, former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said Wednesday he believes he could be walking an NFL sideline sooner rather than later.
After 14 seasons, 146 wins, two Super Bowl victories and seven playoff appearances as Broncos coach, Shanahan was fired Tuesday.
On Wednesday, he spoke publicly for the first time and outlined his next career step.
"The next place I go to, it will be the one thing I'm thinking about, the best chance to win a championship," Shanahan said.
Detroit, the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns have openings for coaches. The Browns also do not have a general manager after Phil Savage was fired, along with coach Romeo Crennel.
Already, there were rumors swirling around the league that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, facing a new stadium to fill with a team coming off back-to-back disappointments, might position himself for a run at Shanahan.
Jones said publicly in the wake of the Cowboys' season finale that coach Wade Phillips, whom Broncos owner Pat Bowlen fired after the 1994 season to hire Shanahan, would be retained.
But that was before a two-time Super Bowl winner appeared on the market.
Shanahan, who spent part of Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning boxing up personal items in his office at the Broncos' Dove Valley complex, said he would "carefully" consider his next stop.
He also said he wouldn't rule out a college coaching job, but he considers himself "an NFL guy" and "I don't look forward to not having something to do."
Bowlen joked "I wouldn't like it if he went to Kansas City" but professed the belief Shanahan would secure another job quickly and he would be able to choose from several offers. Bowlen also said he would offer a recommendation to any team owner who wanted to hire Shanahan.
Shanahan, who said he hoped to keep a home in the Denver area, has three years remaining on his contract with the Broncos at about $7 million a year. He also has a clause in his contract that he was to be paid among the top-three head coaching salaries in the league. The Broncos would have to pay the remainder of the contract if Shanahan doesn't take another job.
"He'll be very successful, and I'll be happy for him," Bowlen said.
As far as what he is looking for now, Shanahan said, "A person that wants to win a championship as badly as you do . . . willing to go to extremes to get that done.
"Do people compete? Do they want it as badly as you?"
posted by The Gryphon at 12:16 PM
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