Off to beach, Shanahan plans to draw line in sand

Coach: Next stop will be where he can win title

By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 31, 2008 at 10:54 p.m.

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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?"

• December 31, 2008

  11:40 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  flybys writes:

  Mike Shanahan will resurface soon and when he does you can bet he wins big again. Super Bowl big? Maybe. But the next go around he will actually have someone to hold him accountable and someone to make him pay attention to coaching and only coaching the roster he's been given.

  As a drafter of defenders, Shanahan was atrocious.

  It was one of his biggest faults. It made him gamble in free agency and with trades, most of which rarely succeeded.

  http://coloradosn.blogspot.com

• January 1, 2009

  8:53 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  johnb writes:

  I would like to see him go to the cowboys or please just go to the NFC. If we have to play him he'll kill us. Not for spite, just because he knows this team so well. Or maybe he will go to the Jets and do for Farve what he did for Elway.

• January 1, 2009

  9:34 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  dadio161 writes:

  Mike should just hang out at his new steakhouse, play some nice golf, tickle the wifey, and enjoy the smell of the roses.

• January 1, 2009

  9:40 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  desertwind writes:

  Farve won't be with the Jets next season... so rule that one out... and it took Shanny a couple seasons to get Elway in a groove. Farve's arm won't be attached that long if he tried to play that one out

• January 1, 2009

  10:10 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  bilco writes:

  Hey, you've seen those commercials of the outside of Mike's mansion, absolutely gorgeous! I swear, if I were him, I'd lay back for three years, getting 6.5 million a year in salary, and take it easy on my sprawling Denver estate! I'm 60 years old, have worked all my life and live paycheck to paycheck, so you see the situation Shanny's in and I would die to be in his shoes. Good luck Mike, you gave it your best! I think the reason Bowlin pulled the trigger is because the team quit on the coach and that is irreversible damage!

• January 1, 2009

  10:26 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  discer writes:

  If he wants to stay in Colorado and coach in college, how about CU?

• January 1, 2009

  10:52 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Mr_Ed writes:

  Regardless of what the naysayers spout, Mike was a great coach for the Broncos. Mike will be sucessful where ever he goes. I wish him the best. But like others have said, just not in the AFC West. I hope the new coach can breathe some life into our defense, but try to keep our offense mostly intact (but add some variety to the play calling!). This could go either way, folks. Like the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for.

• January 1, 2009

  11:25 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Boneheadbowlen writes:

  I think Mike will wind up in SD after Manning gets done putting the last nail in Norvacaine's coffin. Shanny said he wants to go to the place where he has the best chance to win, as far as I can tell, that would be SD. It's gonna make the SD/Bronco series into a bigger rivary than the "stale" Jokeland/Broncos games. Now let's see if Bonehead Bowlen can find a gunslinging coach to bring to the fight.

• January 1, 2009

  12:49 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  LooseCannon writes:

  If Mike goes to San Diego I will finally have a reason to like that team...well, if they get rid of Rivers, too.

• January 1, 2009

  2:46 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  dl1011 writes:

  I guess that Mike will have to put his 55,000 sq ft home on the market.( Thats right, 55,000) But it does come with a bowling alley and a indoor golf driving range. Sweet.

• January 1, 2009

  5:09 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  eddieb12002 writes:

  great comment bilco... I agree the team quit . It was time though too. Shanahan and Bowlen , what classy guys. Studs. It's gonna be OK.. Next up ... Stoops.

• January 1, 2009

  5:33 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  FRODO writes:

  Flybys, how do you figure he will win big again. Last ten years here with "the best owner in pro sports" (according to Shanny) if you throw out the one 13-3 season Shanny averaged 8-8 with one playoff win. What will make him better than he has been in the last ten years?

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