Although he stepped down from the Broncos’ head coaching job earlier this offseason, longtime NFL coach Gary Kubiak says he’s not completely ruling out a return to the NFL. “I never say never, but it will NOT be the first thing I do,” Kubiak told John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link), adding that he feels “great.”
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Although health concerns played a major factor in Kubiak’s decision to step away, he’s still only 55 years old. But the demanding schedule of an NFL lifer clearly took its toll on Kubiak. As the Texans head coach in 2013, Kubiak suffered a mini-stroke during a game, and he missed a contest during the 2016 campaign while dealing with migraine issues. For what it’s worth, Kubiak’s family reportedly preferred that he step away from the game altogether.
Although the 2016 season didn’t go as expected, Kubiak’s run in Denver can’t be considered anything other than a success. After joining the Broncos prior to the 2015 season, Kubiak led Denver to a Super Bowl victory in the first season a four-year deal. Quarterback Peyton Manning retired following the season, forcing the Broncos to turn to Trevor Siemian, and Denver wasn’t able to reach the postseason again, finishing third in the AFC West with a 9-7 record.
In total, Kubiak has posted an 82-75 regular season record, a 5-2 postseason mark, and one Super Bowl win.