SHANAHAN SET TO PLAY WAITING GAME FOR WORK
There were reports out of New York that former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan rebuffed the Jets.
It’s more accurate to say Shanahan has put the Jets — and the two other NFL teams with coaching vacancies, the Lions and Browns — on hold. Each of those teams has contacted Shanahan through his agent, but all conversations have ended there.
“I’m not going to do anything for two weeks,” Shanahan said. “I think it’s important to get away and make sure you have a clear mind before you start making any major decisions.”
If teams still have an opening for a head coach in mid-January, Shanahan will talk. Would it bother him if all the coaching vacancies are filled in two weeks?
“No,” he said.
Dennison gets chance.
No wonder Broncos owner Pat Bowlen sounded so confident he could replace Shanahan.
In assembling their shortlist to replace Shanahan, the Broncos have gathered a who’s who of head coaching candidates.
The list of candidates officially expanded to five — unofficially to six — Saturday when the Broncos added one of their own, offensive coordinator Rick Dennison. Of all the big names on the Broncos’ search list, no one may be better versed in all three phases of the game.
Dennison, 50, played linebacker for the Broncos from 1982-90 and has coached either special teams or offense since he first joined Shanahan’s staff in 1995.
Interview schedule.
It began Saturday night when the Broncos met with New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo in the New York area. Spagnuolo is considered a leading candidate for both the Broncos and the Jets, who interviewed him Saturday afternoon.
The Broncos will meet today with New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in Rhode Island. McDaniels is considered a longshot because he is a 32-year-old offensive play-caller, and the Broncos already have a 32-year-old offensive play-caller in Jeremy Bates, who has received a passionate endorsement from quarterback Jay Cutler.
Bowlen and chief operating officer Joe Ellis then will return to Denver to interview the final three candidates. Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is tentatively scheduled to interview on Tuesday, with Dennison and Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to go on Wednesday.
What about Stoops?
Not on the Broncos’ interview list, at least not officially, is Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops. Although Stoops has drawn at least an infatuated interest from Bowlen, he may be too expensive given the Broncos’ $21 million contractual obligation to Shanahan.
The Broncos are acknowledging that Spagnuolo, Garrett, McDaniels, Morris and Dennison are on their shortlist — but not Stoops, whose Sooners play in Thursday’s Bowl Championship Series title game.
And Stoops isn’t acknowledging the Broncos.
“That’s a rumor that I haven’t heard,” Stoops said Saturday at his news conference. “No one has contacted me about that, so I don’t know anything about it.”
Easy on Elway.
Minutes after Shanahan was dismissed, there were numerous reports speculating Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway would return to the Broncos, perhaps as their next general manager. Elway, though, was out of the country when Bowlen announced Shanahan’s firing.
As of Friday, Elway had yet to speak with Bowlen. That doesn’t mean Bowlen won’t yet offer Elway a front-office position. But it also means Bowlen has yet to give it much thought.
Mike Klis, The Denver Post
