Mike Shanahan Explained

Mike Shanahan
Birth Date:August 24, 1952
Birth Place:Oak Park, Illinois, U.S.
College:Eastern Illinois (1970–1972)
Pastcoaching:
  • Oklahoma (1975–1976)
    Graduate assistant
  • Northern Arizona (1977)
    Offensive backfield
  • Eastern Illinois (1978)
    Offensive coordinator
  • Minnesota (1979)
    Offensive coordinator
  • Florida (1980–1983)
    Offensive coordinator
  • Denver Broncos (1984)
    Wide receivers coach
  • Denver Broncos
    Offensive coordinator
  • Los Angeles Raiders
    Head coach
  • Denver Broncos
    Quarterbacks
  • Denver Broncos
    Offensive coordinator
  • San Francisco 49ers
    Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
  • San Francisco 49ers
    Offensive coordinator
  • Denver Broncos
    Head coach (1995–2008)
    Vice president of football operations (1995–2002)
    Executive vice president of football operations (2002–2008)
  • Washington Redskins
    Head coach/executive vice president
Highlights:
As a head coach
As an assistant coach
Pfrcoach:ShanMi0

Michael Edward Shanahan (born August 24, 1952) is an American football coach, best known as the head coach of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2008. During his fourteen seasons with the Broncos, he led the team to two consecutive Super Bowl victories in XXXII and XXXIII; along with being the first Super Bowl championships in team history, they were the seventh team to win consecutive Super Bowls in NFL history. His head coaching career spanned a total of twenty seasons and also included stints with the Los Angeles Raiders and Washington Redskins. He is the father of San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Early career

Shanahan played high school football at East Leyden High School, Franklin Park, Illinois, where he played wishbone quarterback for coach Jack Leese's 1968 and 1969 Eagles teams. Shanahan held the single-game rushing record of 260 yards on 15 carries (which was set in a 32–8 win over Hinsdale South on September 20, 1969) until it was broken in 1976 by Dennis Cascio. He graduated from high school in 1970.[1]

He was a quarterback at Eastern Illinois University, where he joined Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity. In 1972, a piercingly hard hit on the practice field ruptured one of his kidneys, which caused his heart to stop for thirty seconds and nearly killed him. A priest was summoned to administer the last rites to Shanahan, a devout Roman Catholic.[2] [3]

College coaching

In 1975 and 1976, Shanahan was a graduate assistant on Barry Switzer's staff at the University of Oklahoma.[4] In 1977, he became the offensive backfield coach at Northern Arizona University.[5] NAU went 9–2 and played in the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs. He left after one season to return to his alma mater as offensive coordinator.[6] He helped Eastern Illinois win the Division II football championship. Shanahan then worked as the offensive coordinator for the University of Minnesota for a single season, before accepting the same position at the University of Florida under head coach Charley Pell in 1980. Shanahan stayed with the Gators through 1983.[7]

NFL career

Assistant coaching stints

Shanahan first served as a receivers coach and later offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos under Dan Reeves from 1984 to 1987. This firmly places Mike Shanahan on the Tom Landry tree of coaching, as Dan Reeves was one of Landry's greatest disciples. It was his skill as an offensive mind that garnered Shanahan the attention of maverick Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis. After Shanahan and the Raiders parted ways four games into the 1989 season, Shanahan returned to the Broncos as quarterbacks coach on October 16, 1989.[8] He was fired a couple years later by Reeves after finding himself in the middle of a growing feud between Reeves and quarterback John Elway.[9]

Los Angeles Raiders

Shanahan was hired by the Los Angeles Raiders in 1988 to replace longtime Raiders coach Tom Flores. He was the Raiders' first head coach hired from outside the organization since Davis himself 23 years earlier. Shanahan (who proved very unpopular with the players) and the micromanaging Davis clashed almost immediately, and this was only exacerbated after the Raiders finished a disappointing 7–9, losing four of their last five games. Tensions increased towards the end of the season when wide receivers coach and Shanahan loyalist Nick Nicolau got into a heated argument with assistant coach Art Shell (a Davis loyalist) in which Nicolau reportedly accused Shell of having a job only by virtue of his friendship with Davis. When Shell went to Davis later to ask if this was true, Davis' response was to immediately fire Nicolau. Shanahan responded by firing running backs coach Joe Scannella and offensive coordinator Tom Walsh (both Davis hires), but Davis ordered them both back to work.[10] At the end of the season, Shanahan fired defensive assistants Willie Brown and Charlie Sumner. An enraged Davis re-hired Brown to a different position in the organization. When the Raiders began 1–3 in 1989, Shanahan himself was fired and replaced by Shell.[11] [12] Shanahan's final Raiders record was 8–12 in less than two seasons, going 2–7 after a 6–5 start.[13]

San Francisco 49ers

In 1992, Shanahan was hired as offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers under head coach George Seifert, capping his rise with a victory in Super Bowl XXIX after the 1994 season. His years under Seifert placed him in the Bill Walsh coaching tree.[14] In 1994 while coaching for the 49ers, Shanahan added to the ongoing feud between him and Raiders owner Al Davis when he had then quarterback Elvis Grbac throw a football at Davis' head, which missed by a few inches as Davis was able to dodge it just in time; afterwards Davis responded with an obscene gesture.[15]

Denver Broncos

Shanahan's success with the 49ers earned him a head coaching spot once more, this time back in Denver with the Broncos beginning in 1995. He led the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl championships in the 1997 and 1998 seasons, during which time the Broncos set a then-record for victories in two seasons.

Between 1996 and 1998, the Broncos set the NFL record for victories by going 46–10 over a three-year span. The 1998 Broncos won their first 13 games on their way to a 14–2 mark. Shanahan, taking his cue from West Coast offense guru Bill Walsh, was well known for scripting the first 15 offensive plays of the game, and helped the 1998 Broncos set an NFL record for first quarter points scored in a season. In 2005, he passed Dan Reeves as the winningest coach in franchise history.[16]

Shanahan is known for an offense featuring zone running plays and play-action passes. He has often found unheralded running backs from later rounds of the annual NFL Draft and then turned them into league-leading rushers behind small-but-powerful offensive lines. Examples of this phenomenon are Terrell Davis, Mike Anderson, Olandis Gary, Clinton Portis, Reuben Droughns and Tatum Bell, all of whom have had at least one 1,000-yard season in a Denver uniform during Shanahan's tenure.[17]

In 1999, with the assistance of writer Adam Schefter, Shanahan penned Think Like a Champion, a motivational book about leadership; it was published by HarperCollins.[18] In 2006, he cooperated with Stefan Fatsis's endeavor to spend a year as a Broncos place-kicker, and much of the resulting book A Few Seconds of Panic (2008) covers Shanahan's coaching from the player's point of view.

After Elway's retirement and Davis' career-ending injuries, Shanahan went six years without a playoff win (including three seasons when the Broncos failed to qualify for the postseason),[19] a drought which caused criticism from fans. The playoff drought ended during the 2005–06 postseason when the Broncos defeated the two-time defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs at Invesco Field at Mile High.[20] The victory, however, would be Shanahan's last playoff win as a head coach.[19]

Shanahan was fired after the 2008 NFL season following a collapse that caused the Broncos to miss the playoffs for a third consecutive year.[21] Although the Broncos held an 8–5 record by Week 14 and would have won the AFC West with one more victory, the team lost their remaining three games and the 8–8 San Diego Chargers won the division on a tiebreaker.[22]

Washington Redskins

In the early part of the 2009 season, it was reported that the Washington Redskins were interested in naming Shanahan their head coach, replacing Jim Zorn. Although this was reported by several media outlets, the Redskins' vice president of football operations, Vinny Cerrato, stated that a coaching change would not be considered until the end of the season.[23] On November 18, 2009, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Buffalo Bills had contacted Shanahan about their head coaching vacancy after the team parted ways with former coach Dick Jauron.[24]

On January 5, 2010, Shanahan was formally introduced as the Redskins' 24th full-time head coach. As part of the deal, he was also named vice president of football operations, with the final say on football matters. He was one of several coaches who also had the title or powers of general manager, along with New England's Bill Belichick and others.[25] Shanahan was signed to a five-year, $35 million contract.[26] Several months earlier, Bruce Allen was named the team's general manager. Shanahan and Allen split the duties held by a general manager, with Shanahan having the final say.[27] This model is similar to how Belichick and Scott Pioli worked during their eight years in New England.

Shanahan's son, Kyle Shanahan, became the offensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins on January 20, 2010.[28]

Shanahan had a combined 11–21 record in his first two seasons as Redskins coach, followed by a 3–6 start to the 2012 season, but ended the year with a seven-game winning streak on the way to the team's first NFC East title and home playoff game since the 1999 season. During this season Shanahan also continued his trend of developing unheralded draft picks into 1000-yard rushers, with the 6th-rounder Alfred Morris. The Redskins lost in the Wild Card round of the 2012 NFL Playoffs to the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 24–14, during which his quarterback Robert Griffin III sustained a tear of his LCL and a damaged ACL to his previously injured knee.[29] Shanahan came under criticism for his handling of the injury, both in bringing Griffin back to play after the initial injury on December 9 and keeping him in the game against the Seahawks after reinjuring the knee. While there were reports in December 2012 that the Redskins were considering negotiating a contract extension with Shanahan in the 2013 offseason, this did not happen and there were later reports that Shanahan had considered resigning after the end of the year.[30] [31]

Griffin underwent reconstructive surgery of his knee on January 9 and returned as the starter for the beginning of the 2013–2014 season, though Shanahan held him out of the preseason to protect him from further injury.[32] [33] [34] The team continued to struggle in 2013. With the final three games of the regular season, Shanahan decided to make Griffin inactive for the rest of the season because Shanahan thought it was best for both Griffin's and the Redskins' future.

Redskins owner Daniel Snyder fired Shanahan on December 30, 2013.[35] The team finished 3–13 in the 2013 season, and was in last place in the NFC East division three of Shanahan's four seasons.

Potential return to coaching

Shanahan has not held a coaching position since his dismissal from the Washington Redskins in 2013. In 2015, he was interviewed by the Buffalo Bills[36] and Chicago Bears[37] for their vacant head coaching spots, as well as the Oakland Raiders,[38] whom he previously coached from 1988 to 1989, when the club was based in Los Angeles. Shanahan was also interviewed for the vacant head coaching spot by the San Francisco 49ers in 2015, whom Shanahan previously served as their offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach from 1992 to 1994 and was part of the 1994 team that won Super Bowl XXIX. Coincidentally, the 49ers would hire his son, Kyle Shanahan as their head coach 2 years later.[39] In 2016, Shanahan was nearly hired as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins[40] before they hired Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase for the vacant spot on January 9, 2016. On August 17, 2019, it was revealed that the Denver Broncos, whom Shanahan previously coached from 1995 to 2008, nearly re-hired him as head coach in 2018 before their decision to retain Vance Joseph on January 1, 2018.[41]

Head coaching record

Team Year Regular Season Post Season
WonLostTiesWin %FinishWon Lost Win % Result
LAR1988790.4383rd in AFC West
LAR1989130.250Fired
LAR Total8120.400---
DEN1995880.5003rd in AFC West
DEN19961330.8131st in AFC West0 1 .000 Lost to Jacksonville Jaguars in AFC Divisional Game
DEN19971240.7502nd in AFC West4 0 1.000 Super Bowl XXXII Champions
DEN19981420.8751st in AFC West3 0 1.000 Super Bowl XXXIII Champions
DEN19996100.3755th in AFC West
DEN20001150.6882nd in AFC West0 1 .000 Lost to Baltimore Ravens in AFC wild card game
DEN2001880.5003rd in AFC West
DEN2002970.5632nd in AFC West
DEN20031060.6252nd in AFC West0 1 .000 Lost to Indianapolis Colts in AFC Wild Card Game
DEN20041060.6252nd in AFC West0 1 .000 Lost to Indianapolis Colts in AFC Wild Card Game
DEN20051330.8131st in AFC West1 1 .500 Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers in AFC Championship Game
DEN2006970.5633rd in AFC West
DEN2007790.4382nd in AFC West
DEN2008880.5002nd in AFC West
DEN Total138860.61685.615
WAS20106100.3754th in NFC East
WAS20115110.3134th in NFC East
WAS201210601st in NFC East0 1 .000 Lost to Seattle Seahawks in NFC Wild Card Game
WAS201331304th in NFC East
WAS Total2440001.000
Total[42] 170138086.571

Accomplishments

Coaching tree

Shanahan has worked under six head coaches:[45]

Fifteen of Shanahan's assistant coaches became head coaches in the NFL or NCAA:

Two of Shanahan's former players became head coaches in the NFL or NCAA:

Five of Shanahan's executives/former players became general managers in the NFL:

Personal life

Shanahan is a Catholic.[2] [50] [51] He and his wife, Peggy, have two children — a son, Kyle, the current San Francisco 49ers' head coach, and a daughter, Krystal.[52] Shanahan is also a brother in the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity.

In May 2008, Shanahan attended the wedding of George W. Bush's daughter Jenna Bush, who was the former college roommate of Shanahan's daughter.[53] [54]

In July 2016, Shanahan hosted a fundraiser for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. In October 2016, Shanahan spoke on Trump's behalf at a campaign rally in Loveland, Colorado.[55] [56]

In October 2021, Shanahan sold his mansion in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado (near Denver) for a record $15.7 million.[57] [58]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Lombardi . David . A conversation with Mike Shanahan: The coach discusses his 49ers history, his son Kyle's development, and more . The New York Times . 13 December 2019.
  2. News: Inside the Mind of Mike Shanahan . The Wall Street Journal . Stefan . Fatsis . July 1, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121110054252/http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121477975676614277.html.html?mod=sports . November 10, 2012 .
  3. News: Albert Haynesworth has failed every test issued by Mike Shanahan. The Washington Post. Sally. Jenkins. August 23, 2010.
  4. News: Tramel . Berry . Oklahoma football: Tales of Mike Shanahan . 4 June 2024 . The Oklahoman . November 28, 2012.
  5. News: Sports Transactions . 4 June 2024 . Toledo Blade . January 4, 1977.
  6. News: NAU coach in new post . 4 June 2024 . Kingsman Daily Miner . December 19, 1977.
  7. Web site: Foley in Denver to meet with Shanahan . . ESPN, Inc. . 13 December 2019.
  8. Web site: Mike Shanahan's return to Broncos during 1989 season did not cause controversy . January 9, 2012 .
  9. News: SUPER BOWL XXXIII: A Rivalry Beyond the Game; Rift Makes Reeves and Shanahan More Competitive. The New York Times. Mike. Freeman. January 24, 1999.
  10. Web site: Heisler . Mark . COMMENTARY : Shanahan Wasn't a Stroke of Genius . . October 5, 1989 . 18 December 2019.
  11. Dreams Do Come True. Sports Illustrated. Jill. Lieber. October 23, 1989.
  12. News: George . Thomas . ON PRO FOOTBALL; Shanahan Wants to Be the Perfect Coach . The New York Times . November 18, 1998 . 18 December 2019.
  13. Web site: Mike Shanahan Record . pro-football-reference.com . 18 December 2019.
  14. Web site: Beals . Cody . Extra, Extra, Mike Shanahan Is an Offensive Genius! . bleacherreport.com . Bleacher Report, Inc. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. . 18 December 2019.
  15. http://larrybrownsports.com/football/elvis-grbac-mike-shanahan-ordered-me-to-throw-a-football-at-al-davis-head/91492 Elvis Grbac: Mike Shanahan Ordered Me to Throw a Football at Al Davis’ Head
  16. Web site: Denver Broncos Coaches . pro-football-reference.com . Sports Reference, LLC . 15 December 2019.
  17. Web site: Denver Broncos Yearly Rushing Leaders . footballdb.com . The Football Database, LLC. . 21 December 2019.
  18. Book: Think Like A Champion: Building Success One Victory at a Time . 2000 . HarperCollins.
  19. Web site: Mike Shanahan . pro-football-reference.com . SportsReference, LLc. . 21 December 2019.
  20. Web site: Breech . John . Tom Brady has an ugly record in Denver, here's how bad it is . cbssports.com . January 18, 2016 . CBS Broadcasting Inc. . 21 December 2019.
  21. Web site: Broncos fire Shanahan after 14 seasons as head coach. ESPN.com. December 31, 2008.
  22. Web site: McIntyre . Jason . In the Last Decade, Starting 0-2 Has Been an NFL Death Sentence . thebiglead.com . September 14, 2017 . Minute Media . 21 December 2019.
  23. Web site: Sources: Mike Shanahan Turned Down Redskins Coaching Job. NFL Fanhouse. October 19, 2009.
  24. Web site: Sources: Bills contact Shanahan. ESPN.com. November 29, 2009.
  25. Web site: Redskins sign Shanahan to 5-year deal. January 6, 2010. January 6, 2010.
  26. Web site: Shanahan to receive five-year deal with Redskins. January 6, 2010.
  27. Maese, Rick "Redskins owner Dan Snyder concedes the stage to Mike Shanahan", The Washington Post, January 7, 2010
  28. Web site: Kyle Shanahan: Offensive Coordinator. Washington Redskins. December 11, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131214201446/http://www.redskins.com/team/coaches/Kyle-Shanahan/584802f5-5905-4b32-9b77-ff0d6d210138. December 14, 2013. dead. mdy-all.
  29. Web site: Brown. Clifton. Redskins vs. Seahawks: When it comes to RG3, short-term gain not worth risk of long-term pain. SportingNews.com. January 6, 2013.
  30. Maske, Mark " Redskins weighing possible contract extension for Mike Shanahan", The Washington Post, December 31, 2012
  31. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/redskins/2013/12/08/mike-shanahan-quit-leave-report-denial-robert-griffin-iii-rg3-rgiii/3908657/ Shanahan dismisses report he wanted out
  32. Starkey, JP (January 9, 2013) RGIII injury update: ACL surgery completed for Redskins QB. SBNation.com.
  33. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/myers-dread-skins-afraid-playing-rg3-preseason-article-1.1429726 Mike Shanahan’s fear of playing Robert Griffin III in preseason leaves him at odds with star QB
  34. http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2013/09/02/shanahan-confirms-rg3-will-start-week-1/ Shanahan confirms RG3 will start Week 1
  35. Web site: Wesseling . Chris . Mike Shanahan fired as Washington Redskins coach . . National Football League . 13 December 2019.
  36. Web site: Source: Bills setting up interview with Mike Shanahan. January 3, 2015. January 3, 2015. ESPN.
  37. Web site: Bears expected to interview Mike Shanahan for HC. January 6, 2015. January 6, 2015. NFL.
  38. Web site: Mike Shanahan interviewed with Oakland Raiders. NFL. January 5, 2015. January 5, 2015.
  39. Web site: Mike Shanahan interviewed with San Francisco 49ers. NFL. January 2, 2015. January 2, 2015.
  40. Web site: Mike Shanahan to have second interview with Dolphins. ABC News. January 4, 2016. January 4, 2016.
  41. Web site: Mike Shanahan says he was close to re-joining Broncos as head coach in 2018. August 17, 2019. August 17, 2019. CBS Sports.
  42. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/ShanMi0.htm Mike Shanahan Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks
  43. http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/17995753/mike-shanahan-background#axzz2nVy3p5iN Mike Shanahan Background – DC News FOX 5 DC WTTG
  44. Web site: Boyd . Jimmy . Super Bowl Winning & Losing NFL Head Coaches with Most Appearances . boydsbets.com . 18 December 2019.
  45. News: PRO FOOTBALL; Shanahan Leaving San Francisco To Become Head Coach in Denver . The New York Times . February 1995 . 15 December 2019.
  46. Web site: LOCAL : Raiders Fire Shanahan, Appoint Shell as Coach . . October 3, 1989 . 15 December 2019.
  47. Web site: Hartman . Sid . Mike Shanahan lauds Gary Kubiak in new role with Vikings . startribune.com . StarTribune . 15 December 2019.
  48. Web site: Williams . Eric D. . Kyle Shanahan was the ball boy when Anthony Lynn played for Broncos . . September 28, 2018 . ESPN, Inc . 15 December 2019.
  49. Web site: Jones . Mike . Opinion: Mike Shanahan's blueprint paving way for Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur . usatoday.com . Gannett . 15 December 2019.
  50. Web site: Mike Shanahan Background . My Fox DC . January 4, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100908071027/http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/sports/mike-shanahan-background-010410 . September 8, 2010 .
  51. Web site: Article: Shanahan says he's not interested in Notre Dame position . HighBeam Research . December 10, 2004.
  52. Web site: Mike Shanahan is having a pretty proud Father's Day. June 18, 2017.
  53. News: Jenna Bush Weds Henry Hager at President's Ranch . Fox News . May 11, 2008.
  54. News: President Bush to play father of bride Saturday; Broncos' Shanahan to attend . https://archive.today/20120722142932/http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=91510 . dead . July 22, 2012 . 9 News Colorado . May 10, 2008 .
  55. http://www.denverpost.com/2016/06/27/donald-trump-fundraiser-colorado-coors-shanahan/ Coors, Shanahan to host Donald Trump fundraiser in Colorado
  56. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/10/04/mike-shanahan-says-donald-trump-brings-the-leadership-we-need-for-our-kids/ Mike Shanahan says Donald Trump brings the leadership we need 'for our kids'
  57. Web site: 2021-10-26 . Mike Shanahan sells his mansion in Cherry Hills Village for record $15.7M . 2022-03-01 . BusinessDen . en-US.
  58. Web site: Home Belonging to Former Broncos Head Coach Mike Shanahan Sells for More Than $15M - CBS Colorado . . October 25, 2021 .