It’s a Rocky Mountain low for Shanahan

The collapse of the Denver Broncos was so complete, it took down a coach many thought to be untouchable.

Mike Shanahan, once called the Broncos’ coach for life, was fired Tuesday after 14 seasons and two Super Bowl victories with the organization.

The stunning move came two days after Denver lost an all-or-nothing finale at San Diego, with the Broncos becoming the first NFL team to blow a three-game division lead with three weeks to play.

“After giving this careful consideration, I have concluded that a change in our football operations is in the best interest of the Denver Broncos,” owner Pat Bowlen said in a statement. “This is certainly a difficult decision but one that I feel must be made and which will ultimately be in the best interests of all concerned.”

Shanahan, whose team is out of the playoffs for the third consecutive year, was the fourth coach fired in the last two days, joining Detroit’s Rod Marinelli, Cleveland’s Romeo Crennel and the New York Jets’ Eric Mangini.

“I was shocked when I heard,” former Broncos safety John Lynch said in a phone interview. “I know such things don’t exist, but people felt like he had a lifetime contract there. He could have it as long as he wanted to be there. But it never really surprises you because this is a game about winning, and it wasn’t happening there.”

In recent years, the Broncos’ biggest struggles have been on defense, leading to the rapid-fire dismissals of defensive coordinators Greg Robinson, Ray Rhodes, Larry Coyer and Jim Bates. Denver was bad on defense again this season, although it seemed to be caused more by personnel than by scheme. The Broncos finished 29th in total defense and 30th in points given up.

Although Shanahan coached Denver to Super Bowl victories in 1997 and 1998, becoming the first coach to collect consecutive rings in the era of free agency, the Broncos since have struggled to make an impact during the postseason. They won only one playoff game after quarterback John Elway retired after the second Super Bowl win.

Unlike most NFL coaches, Shanahan had near-total control of his team. He didn’t answer to a general manager, only to Bowlen. According to various reports, Shanahan has three years remaining on a $20-million contract and is in the process of building a 35,000-square-foot home in a swanky part of Denver.

“I don’t think that people outside the organization understand the iconic nature of Mike Shanahan,” former Broncos lineman Mark Schlereth said. “But all good things end. It’s, ‘He’s my lifetime coach . . . unless he gets eliminated from the playoffs three straight years.’ ”

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sam.farmer@latimes.com