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FeedOne Word: Competitive
That is how Mike Shanahan describes himself both on and off the field. After a tumultuous year, that attitude might serve him well for the future.
Marc Piscotty
We love it when the good guys win. So when Mike Shanahan snagged a $35 million deal over the next five years to coach the Washington Redskins his fans cheered. But it felt bittersweet; did this mean goodbye? Shanahan spent 21 years with the Broncos, 14 as head coach, and led them to back-to-back Super Bowl victories in 1998 and 1999. His firing last December stunned Denver fans, even those disappointed in his recent performance. But what did the new East Coast job mean? Trouble was he hadn’t given an interview in more than a year until he let me into his living room for a chat before he left for D.C.
So why no interviews? “I didn’t think it was right,” Shanahan says. “Anytime you’ve been fired and have been in a place so long, when a new head coach comes in, you don’t want to take away from what that guy wants to do. Josh is a young coach with big-time potential and a great future, and I thought it would be better if I stayed in the background.” Of course, that didn’t mean he avoided the game; he just came at it with a different approach. “I actually had a chance to sit back and enjoy football games on Sunday,” he says. “I’d watch four games, all at the same time in the morning, then four games, again all at the same time, in the afternoon. I’d get four TVs going and see what different people were doing. Not having the pressure of going out and performing over the weekend was something I enjoyed.”
Does he think all that time “off” will change his coaching style? “I think you change a little bit each year,” he says. “You take a look at your personnel, your coaching staff, what you can do, what you can’t do, some of the mistakes you made in the past, different things you really believe in. I think every job is a learning experience.”
It will be interesting to see what he can learn from the Redskins’ organization, a challenge he’s looking forward to. “The NFC East is arguably the toughest division in football, to go against the Cowboys a couple of times a year, Philly, and the Giants. It’s going to be a fun experience,” he says. In addition to his head-coaching duties, Shanahan is the vice president of football operations with the Redskins, giving him full control over player personnel. He named his son Kyle his new offensive coordinator, and the buzz among fans over the younger Shanahan has been notable. “I don’t blame them,” says Kyle’s dad. “He’s had a much better year.” Laughing, he adds, “He’s had a couple of good years as the offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans, obviously, getting the chance to work with Gary Kubiak, a longtime friend as well as a player and as a coach. I’m looking forward to working with my son.”
To circle back to the original question, does this mean goodbye? Shanahan says no. He and his wife Peggy recently completed construction of a 35,000-square-foot home in Cherry Hills Village and, in December, celebrated the opening of Shanahan’s eponymous restaurant in South Denver. “I just look at it as a long commute to be honest with you,” he says. “We are going to keep our home here. We have so many friends in Denver … and with the restaurant that we have here, this will be our home after
football is over.”
View the full interview at vistatvdenver.com.
