According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Sunday’s Denver Broncos finale with the Oakland Raiders will likely be Gary Kubiak’s last game as a head coach. After just two years in Denver and one Super Bowl ring, Kubiak will step down because of health reasons, league sources told Schefter and ESPN. The Denver Post later confirmed the report. Kubiak’s final decision will be made within the week, per Schefter.
And here it goes: With his family concerned about his health, Gary Kubiak likely is stepping down as Broncos' HC, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 1, 2017
Kubiak suffered a second major health scare this season when he left Sports Authority Field at Mile High in an ambulance following Denver’s Week 5 loss to the Falcons. Kubiak was soon after diagnosed with a “complex migraine” condition that caused him to miss the Week 6 game in San Diego. Kubiak had previously suffered a health scare in 2013 when coaching the Texans. The head coach suffered a a “transient ischemic attack” (often described as a mini-stroke) at halftime of a game.
And so today is likely going to be Gary Kubiak's final game as Broncos HC, league sources have told ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 1, 2017
Kubiak led the Denver Broncos franchise to its third Super Bowl title, coaching Denver to a 12-4 record and a No. 1 seed in the 2015 regular season before winning Super Bowl 50. The 2016 Broncos will miss the playoffs, having been eliminated on Christmas night with a loss to the Chiefs that dropped their record to 8-7 with one game remaining.
Kubiak, 55, played nine years for the Denver Broncos (1983-91) as an eighth-round draft pick. He coached two years at his alma mater, Texas A&M, and one year in San Francisco before joining the Broncos again in 1995 as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Kubiak helped guide all three of Denver’s Super Bowl victories, as offensive coordinator in 1997, ’98 and as head coach in 2015.
The Houston, Texas native won 61 games as a head coach for the Texans and 20 more in Denver. He’ll have a chance to add another win in what will be his final game on Jan. 1, 2017, when Denver hosts longtime rival Oakland.