John Elway, eternal competitor, sheds light on how he'll approach his latest competition

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Monday was an emotional day at the UC Health Training Center. Teary eyes lined the walls of the team auditorium as Gary Kubiak said his thank yous and his goodbyes, officially stepping down as the head coach of the Denver Broncos. That emotional moment, though, also meant there was business at hand and the Broncos’ most savvy businessman quickly moved on from the sappy so long.

“There are some quality candidates out there, so we’ll get busy on that today,” Broncos executive vice president of football operations and general manager John Elway said, suddenly numb to the day’s emotion.

Whether he felt it or not, Elway simply didn’t have time for emotion; he’s suddenly found himself in a “competition” as team president Joe Ellis described it. A competition with—at least—five other teams to find and employ the best available head coach on the market.

There’s nothing Ol’ No. 7 loves more than a good competition.

“I think the opportunity that’s here—because of the commitment by ownership to commit the dollars and the monetary things to be able to compete year in and year out is something that—is second to none,” he said, already practicing his pitch on the media.

He’s not wrong. The Broncos have by far the best availability that’s out there this season, by a long shot. Over the past two years, the five other teams looking for a head coach have won an average of just five games, the Broncos—if you include the playoffs—have won an average of 12. When you coach the Denver Broncos, you know that everyone around you is dead set on making sure you win football games.

That opportunity, though, comes with a massive responsibility. Responsibility to the fans, responsibility to the legendary Pat Bowlen and responsibility to the man that hired you, the man whose job is to uphold the Denver Broncos standard.

“This is a great place to work, but the expectations are high,” Elway admitted. “Those expectations have been set by Mr. Bowlen a long time ago. Everybody that comes here, as a coach or as a player, understands that the standard is to be able to compete for World Championships. Does that add a little bit more [pressure]? Sure it does, but if you’re good at what you do, I think you want that challenge.”

Simply put, while it may be one of the best jobs in football, the Denver Broncos head coaching job is not for everybody. In all reality, Gary Kubiak was the perfect hire for John Elway because he knew exactly what he was getting into, he was one of the family. Interestingly enough, when describing what he wants in the next head coach, John Elway basically described the man who has stood on the podium saying his goodbyes just seconds before.

“You want somebody that is very smart and bright,” the hall of famer offered. “In today’s world, in dealing with players, it’s a different world than it used to be, I think there’s a lot to that as far as dealing with the different personalities and the kids today. Because everybody is so close, so much of it is the relationship that goes on in that locker room, the relationship they have with the head coach and the effort that’s put out there. To be able to motivate a football team, to be able to be on the same page with a football team is as important as anything. Obviously, you want a guy that can manage people and understands what he wants to do on the offensive side as well as the defensive side, but also can manage coaches and manage players, which I think is the biggest part of that job these days.”

As for who will fit that description, the captain of the ship was more revealing than one might expect, noting that there are three or four candidates who excite him, none of which are on the current staff. Elway went on to note that how a candidate believes they can develop the team’s quarterbacks will be key, and even revealed a little more.

“There’s a lot of young guys out there that have a lot of potential,” he said. “Bright young guys. Hopefully we can get one of those.”

Which “one of those” perks Elway’s interest the most is yet to be seen, but the thrill of competition has his gears turning already.