After an embarrassing final quarter of the 2018 season, the Denver Broncos have made the move to fire Head Coach Vance Joseph after two very challenging 10-loss seasons leading a franchise just two years removed from a Super Bowl title.
“I spoke with Vance this morning and thanked him for all of his hard work as our head coach,” John Elway said on Monday. “Although we decided to make this change, I believe Vance is a good football coach who has a bright future in this league.
“Vance made a lot of strides and deserves credit for how hard and competitively the team played this season,” Elway added. “There’s always going to be a high standard here—The bottom line is we need to win more football games. We’re excited about the foundation that’s being built and look forward to putting in the work to get the Broncos back on the winning track.”
Joseph’s tenure has been one filled with gaffs and questionable decision-making, but what ultimately led to his dismissal was his inability to get the team to play up to its potential in big games. His 11-21 record is the worst winning percentage of any Broncos head coach who coached for more than a full season since 1972.
Coincidentally, the Broncos locked in their first back-to-back losing season since 1971 and their first back-to-back 10-loss season since 1967. Those are not records any head coach would want to set under their watch.
It’s been a tough two years, but Joseph was appreciative of his opportunity and expressed support for the organization and the fans.
“I want to thank John Elway, Joe Ellis and the organization for the opportunity to serve as the head coach of the Denver Broncos,” Joseph said on Monday. “It’s disappointing not being able to finish what we started, but I’m incredibly proud of the players and coaches for how they fought and worked every week. I also appreciate the support staffs who put in countless hours behind the scenes helping our team. This is a special place with great fans. Holly and I, along with our entire family, truly enjoyed being part of this community and wish the Broncos all the best.”
The search for the next head coach of the Denver Broncos begins immediately.