Two More NFL Coaches Are Sent Packing : Pro football: Seattle fires Flores and Denver dismisses Phillips in wake of disappointing seasons.

Two more NFL coaches were fired Thursday--Tom Flores of the Seattle Seahawks and Wade Phillips of the Denver Broncos.

They are the second and third coaches dismissed since the end of the regular season, joining Rich Kotite of Philadelphia.

Flores, who coached the Raiders to two Super Bowl victories during the 1980s and was coach of the Seahawks the last three seasons, had two option years remaining on his contract.

Phillips, the Broncos’ coach for only two seasons, had one year left on his contract.

Flores, also Seattle’s general manager, announced his own departure after being informed of the move by majority owner Ken Behring in a telephone conversation. All of Flores’ 12 assistants also were dismissed.

“It’s a very fleeting profession and it’s based on what have you done lately,” said Flores, 57, who was named to replace Chuck Knox in 1992. “Memories are short.”

In Flores’ three seasons in charge, the Seahawks were 14-34 and finished last in the AFC West all three years.

After a promising 3-1 start this season that included a victory over Pittsburgh, the Seahawks lost nine of their last 12 games to finish 6-10 for the second consecutive season after a franchise-worst 2-14 finish in 1992.

Phillips, 47, the son of former NFL coach Bum Phillips, signed a three-year contract with Denver in 1993, after Dan Reeves was fired.

Last year, the Broncos were 9-7 and made the playoffs as a wild-card team, losing to the Raiders in the first round. This season, they finished 7-9 after losing their final three games and failed to qualify for the postseason.

Speculation on a new coach immediately shifted to Mike Shanahan, offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. Shanahan turned down the Denver job because of a disagreement over salary after Reeves left.

Bowlen said he wants to find a coach who can take advantage of the talents of quarterback John Elway and lead the team to a Super Bowl title before Elway retires.

“John Elway is a special player who will only come through these headquarters once in my lifetime,” Bowlen said.

Seahawk President David Behring, the son of Ken Behring, said the team had put together a short list of four or five head coaching candidates.

He said Seattle ownership has had two meetings with former San Francisco 49er Coach Bill Walsh, but said Walsh has not been offered any job with the team.