The Denver Broncos made headlines on Sunday during the divisional round of the playoffs when they fired offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello after just one season and head coach Vic Fangio moved fast to secure former New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur as Denver's new offensive coordinator. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler added that the Broncos are finalizing a deal on Sunday and Denver officially announced their new hire on Tuesday afternoon.
"Pat is an established play-caller with significant experience leading an offense as both a coordinator and head coach," Fangio said, via DenverBroncos.com. "Having coached against Pat for a number of years, he's always impressed me. His track record of developing younger players is outstanding. Pat brings a collaborative approach to working with the staff as well as a flexibility to adjust the offense to our players and opponents. We're excited to add someone of his caliber to our coaching staff."
Shurmur reportedly had offers from multiple teams, but the Broncos were his top choice in large part because of quarterback Drew Lock.
Shurmur was axed by the Giants less than two weeks ago after going 9-23 in his two seasons in New York. While his tenure with the Giants was forgettable, he shined as an offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings in 2017. With Case Keenum as his quarterback, Shurmur helped take the Vikings to the NFC conference championship. He was named AP Assistant Coach of the Year before leaving Minnesota for New York.
Before his two seasons in Minnesota, Shurmur spent time as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams and smaller positions with the Philadelphia Eagles -- with whom he broke into the league with back in 1999.
While the Broncos went 7-9 this season, things are looking up for the franchise. After spending several years in quarterback purgatory, Denver finally has a starting signal caller. Lock threw for 1,020 yards, seven touchdowns and just three interceptions in his first five games, helping Denver go 4-1 to end the season. The Broncos also have attractive offensive weapons in running back Phillip Lindsay, wide receiver Courtland Sutton and tight end Noah Fant.
