Shanahan: Good Call or Bad Call?

On Tuesday Pat Bowlen fired Mike Shanahan, whom he had previously referred to as his coach for life.  Over the last three years the Broncos had a 24 - 24 record, which definitely justified his firing, considering our high standards here in Denver.  However, Shanahan has set the table for a potentially great team with young guys like Cutler, Royal, Clady, Scheffler, and Hillis.  So was his firing justified?  I have always had the philosophy that you do not fire a coach unless you have a better replacement lined up.  So lets look at the potential candidates, and rate them as potential replacements (on a scale to 10).

Josh McDaniels:  He is a 32 year old offensive coordinator for the Patriots.  He has been in their system since he was a graduate assistant.  I have two primary concerns.  First, his age.  He is extremely young to be an NFL head coach, however he has studied under Belichick for his entire career.  Second, he is an offensive coach, which is not our problem here in Denver… a defensive coach may be a better option.  Potential replacement qualifications: 7

Steve Spagnuolo:  He is a 49 year old defensive coordinator for the Giants.  He has been around the league a long time and was the mastermind behind stopping the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl.  My concern with Spagnuolo is that the Giants had been mediocre until last year, so is he just a hot name because of their recent success or can he handle being a head coach.  Potential replacement qualifications: 7.5

Raheem Morris:  He is a 32 year old defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Bucs.  My concern with Morris is that he is not even a coordinator, so can he handle the pressures of being a head coach.  He has coached under Jon Gruden, who I think is a better head coach than Belichick or Coughlin.  Potential replacement qualifications: 5

Jason Garrett:  He is the offensive coordinator for the Cowboys.  He has been a rising star in this league the last several years.  However, the concern with Garrett is that he has been a coach for the Drama Queens, and do we really want to bring that mentality to Denver?  Potential replacement qualifications: 6.5

Bob Stoops:  He is the head coach for the Oklahoma Sooners.  Oklahoma has been a powerhouse since Stoops arrived in Norman.  My biggest concern of any of the potential coaching replacements is with Stoops.  He has ZERO NFL experience.  COLLEGE COACHES DON’T MAKE GOOD NFL COACHES.  Spurrier, Paterino, and Saban all were great college coaches who couldn’t make the jump to the NFL.  Potential replacement qualifications: 4.5

So was Shanahan’s firing justified?  I’m inclined to say no, however the change for the Broncos could be a good thing.  The one name that I think the Broncos should pursue, yet it hasn’t been thrown around enough is Bill Cowher.  He has an NFL Super Bowl ring.  He was a long-term coach in Pittsburgh who presided over a team that played great defense, had a good running game, and a excellent play-action game.  That sounds like a recipe for success with the current parts here in Denver.  Potential replacement qualifications: 10!!!