Ranking the 7 NFL Head Coaching Hires

Gary Kubiak, Denver Broncos

I’m actually surprised this one happened; I thought Adam Gase was the odds-on favorite for the job. General manager John Elway has a long relationship with Gary Kubiak, though, so it makes sense the two would be able to work together easily. The new Broncos head coach does have a reputation of being able to fix a franchise, whether it was the Houston Texans after Dom Capers left it in shambles, or the Baltimore Ravens’ offense after Cam Cameron and Jim Caldwell did the same.

Kubiak is a players’ coach, able to simplify immense concepts so that everyone knows the job they have to do, but he is a scheming genius as well. Kubiak is an offensively-minded guru who turns just about any running game into gold with his stretch-zone scheme, and -– a former quarterback himself –- he helps simplify reads for his quarterbacks with ease.

He will join the Denver Broncos with legendary quarterback Peyton Manning likely waiting for him, but this was not a move made for the near future. This was a franchise-building signing by the team. Manning’s future has been in doubt each of the last few years, and there’s no doubt in my mind that he will retire within the next two years maximum. Kubiak was brought in to groom his successor and build a roster that will be stable even when Manning leaves. Wade Phillips, too, is a smart defensive coordinator who will keep this defense in the top 10, even if he shifts the team to a 3-4 front. The reason I can’t put this hiring higher is that –- Kubiak or not -- the Broncos are likely to fall back a bit next year.