The Denver Broncos’ head coach, Gary Kubiak, has decided to retire after over two decades of commitment to the NFL football team. His 22 years with the Broncos included nine years as a quarterback from 1983-91 and 11 as offensive coordinator from 1995-2005. He was an assistant coach when Denver won back-to-back Super Bowls from 1997-98. The Broncos went 21-11 under Kubiak, and he led the Broncos to their 2016 Super Bowl win over the Carolina Panthers. However, this season has been less than stellar. The star quarterback, Peyton Manning, retired and their backup was drafted to another team. This caused them to fall short of the playoffs and concluded the season with a record of 9-7.  

Kubiak formally announced his decision to step down after the Broncos’ last game against the Raiders. His teary-eyed press conference revealed that he could no longer handle the stress and commitment of being a head coach. Kubiak said, “Coaching is a very demanding business… And I’ve always prided myself. You know, I’ve been a head coach for 10 years… I’ve always taken a lot of pride that I could coach a football team, be there for the players, be there for the coaches, be there for the organization, do a game plan, call some plays on Sunday. But this year I haven’t been able to do that. It’s been tough. And for the first time I’ve had to tell myself, ‘Hey, you can’t do that anymore.'” His health is one factor that played a role in his decision to step back. He missed Denver’s game on October 13 against the San Diego Chargers because of a complex migraine condition. When he was the head coach of the Houston Texans, Kubiak suffered a mini-stroke and collapsed during a game in 2013. John Elway, a former teammate of Kubiak and now General Manager of the Broncos, had a mixed reaction to the news. “In the long run, it’s the right thing for Gary, and I think that’s the most important thing,” Elway stated to CNN News.

Von Miller, a Broncos linebacker, wrote a letter featured in Sports Illustrated concerning Kubiak and the legacy he left. “He knew he had to bench Peyton Manning for Brock Osweiler during the regular season a year ago in order to get Peyton fully healthy for the playoffs. And he knew when to insert Peyton back into the lineup,” Miller wrote. “It all worked because Kubiak always has a plan.”  Von Miller attributed his success to his wonderful coach and claimed that he will continue to  “fulfill the missions he gave me, and [he] will always remember the trust and respect he had for me from the first day.”

Kubiak said, “Now, I’m retiring from coaching. I’m getting out of coaching, but I’ve got a lot to give and I’m going to find something else to do… but it’s time for me to step away from the coaching field.” We thank Gary Kubiak for his dedication to the Denver Broncos and wish him luck in his future endeavors.