Wasting No Time, Denver Fires Reeves

Dan Reeves, who coached the Denver Broncos to three Super Bowls, was fired Monday, one day after the team lost its season finale and missed going to the playoffs.

Reeves, 48, announced his own firing at a news conference at Bronco headquarters. Owner Pat Bowlen met with reporters later.

“Life goes on,” Reeves said.

The Broncos, who reached the AFC title game last season before losing, 10-7, at Buffalo, ended their season with an 8-8 record after a 42-20 loss at Kansas City prevented them from making the playoffs. They started 7-3 but lost four consecutive games after quarterback John Elway was injured.

In 12 seasons, Reeves led Denver to five first-place finishes and three second-place finishes in the AFC West. His Bronco teams appeared in four AFC championship games and three Super Bowls, losing all three.

Reeves said he and Bowlen met Monday to discuss Reeves’ future, but Bowlen “had his mind made up what he wanted to do” and did not give Reeves any options except to leave Denver. His five-year contract would have expired Feb. 1.

“He wanted to run this football team in a different way,” Reeves said. “He didn’t want to ask me to do it in a different way. And I respect that.”

Bowlen said he decided Sunday night not to renew Reeves’ contract. Bowlen said his decision had nothing to do with Reeves’ performance.

“I think when you think about that, if I would have agreed to renew Dan’s contract, a year from now we would have both been miserable and at each other’s throats,” he said. “I wish him well. I am very sad to see him go. . . . However, I want to take (the club) in a little different direction.”

Bowlen said he will begin looking for a new coach when he goes to the NFL labor meetings, but did not mention the names of any possible successors. He said he expects members of the Bronco coaching staff to apply. Reeves said defensive coordinator Wade Phillips would be a good candidate, and the name of former offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan also has surfaced.

Shanahan is known to be a favorite of Elway.

Bowlen’s decision to fire Reeves did not immediately extend to his assistant coaches. Bowlen said Reeves’ successor probably would bring along his own staff, meaning some of the present assistants would lose their jobs, but he hopes others could remain.

Monday’s announcement followed weeks of speculation about Reeves’ future with the club.

At the beginning of this season, Reeves asked Bowlen to forgo any contract negotiations after training camp began, so he could concentrate on his coaching duties.

Since then, reports of a Reeves-Bowlen rift fueled speculation about a confrontation between the men at season’s end.

Reeves said he wanted to negotiate one more contract with Denver and retire at age 55. He earned about $950,000 during the last year of his present contract and, with a 110-73-1 regular-season record, was the fourth-winningest active coach. Only Don Shula of Miami, Chuck Knox of the Rams and Washington’s Joe Gibbs have better records.

But Bowlen and Reeves clashed over whether Reeves had too much control.

Reeves was offensive coordinator and team vice president, with power over virtually all player personnel decisions.

Last week, Elway questioned whether Reeves was trying to do too much.

Reeves was named AFC coach of the year in 1991 after guiding Denver to a 12-4 season, the AFC West title and a berth in the AFC title game.

Reeves has played or coached in a record eight Super Bowls, including five as a player and coach for the Dallas Cowboys.