Broncos hire a head coach

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has agreed to become the Denver Broncos’ next coach, team spokesman Patrick Smyth said Sunday night.

McDaniels, 32, replaces Mike Shanahan, who was fired Dec. 30 after 14 seasons with three years and $21 million left on his contract. He’s the only one of six NFL head coaches to be fired by the team for which he won consecutive Super Bowls.

The Broncos won it all in 1997 and ’98 but have slipped into mediocrity, winning only one playoff game in the decade since John Elway retired.

McDaniels is a rising star who spent the first eight years of his NFL coaching career in New England, where he worked his way up from personnel assistant in the scouting department to offensive coordinator for Bill Belichick.

Under his tutelage, Tom Brady threw for a record 50 touchdowns last season and the Patriots came within a whisker of the first 19-0 season in NFL history.

McDaniels was the second of seven candidates interviewed by the Broncos’ management.