SANTA CLARA, Calif. — For more than 15 years, Fred Pagac had tried to avoid the spotlight. The moments of fame for the coach were not only unimportant but unwelcome.
But in the waning seconds of the Broncos’ AFC championship victory over New England, Pagac got caught. CBS cameras zoomed in on him dancing on the Denver sideline with outside linebacker Von Miller as quarterback Peyton Manning trotted onto the field for the final kneel-down play.
“I try to stay under the radar,” Pagac said. “But obviously I didn’t make it under the radar there.”
The man who has made a habit of blending in on the sideline and hiding behind layers of blue Broncos garb was outed. Labeled initially as just “a” Broncos coach, Pagac was later identified to the viewing public.
But for the past 12 months inside the walls at Broncos headquarters, Coach Pug, as he is known, has had trouble going unnoticed.
A former tight end with 38 years of coaching experience at the college and pro level, he arrived in Denver last February as part of Gary Kubiak’s new staff. As the Broncos’ outside linebackers coach, he was tasked with implementing Wade Phillips’ 3-4 defense.
He was given plenty of talent to work with, two elite linebackers in Miller and DeMarcus Ware. The drafting of Shane Ray and the rise of Shaquil Barrett gave him four outside linebackers he could rely on.
Pagac accepted Kubiak’s job offer believing this gig was his best shot at getting the ultimate prize, a diamond-encrusted, too-bulky-to-wear Super Bowl ring.
“I think that way every year,” he said, pointing to his left ring finger. “But there was a great opportunity to get to the big dance.”
In his first year in Denver, Pagac has molded and honed the collection of edge-rushing talent into the best in the NFL (see 52 sacks).
He and other first-year Broncos positional coaches — Bill Kollar (defensive line), Joe Woods (defensive backs) and Reggie Herring (inside linebackers) — helped to transform a defense that ranked third in total defense (305.2 yards allowed per game), ninth in passing yards (225.4) and tied for ninth in sacks (41) a season ago into one that led the NFL in all three categories this past season.
Pagac also helped Miller’s total quarterback pressures (sacks, hits, hurries combined) jump from 58.5 to 69. And Pagac helped Miller and Ware earn their fourth and ninth career Pro Bowl selections, respectively.
“Those two guys are certainly talented players, but to get them to play the way they’ve played, he’s done a great job, as have the rest of the coaches on defense,” Phillips said. “I’m riding the train, clanging the bell. That’s all I do.”
Miller credits Pagac for making first team all-pro, the only Bronco to earn such an honor this year.
“He didn’t coach me like he had been with me through four years,” Miller said. “He coached me how I needed to be coached. He pushed me every single day and got it out of me this year.”
Pagac has little explanation for his ways — “Just coaching,” he said. Players say he’s demanding, but not unreasonable.
“He pushes you, but you want to be the best you can for him,” Barrett said. “But he can get upset and get mad with you, if you push him to that point. I think we’ve only gotten to that point once, the whole linebacker group.”
Those rare moments are traced back to one thing. One huge ring.
“We’ll be talking about sacks and we’ll be like, ‘DeMarcus has 130 sacks!’ or something,” Ray said. “And (Pagac) will be like, ‘Well, how many rings does he have?’ “
Nicki Jhabvala: njhabvala@denverpost.com or @NickiJhabvala
