It doesn’t surprise me that Troy Calhoun’s name is popping up in regards to the Denver Broncos’ job opening. I’ve known since my time covering the Broncos that the organization thought very highly of him. Calhoun is the first hot name being thrown around by the rumor mill now that Josh McDaniels has been fired. I wouldn’t be surprised if he interviews for the job – although I also think this will be a wide-ranging search, and he is far from a heavy favorite. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
Here are some random thoughts on the possibility of Calhoun going to the Broncos, after talking to sources from Air Force and the Broncos tonight:
- This would be a great Air Force story. I know Falcons fans don’t want to lose Calhoun. But, in some ways, it would be a great thing for the academy. There won’t be many opportunities for an Air Force graduate and former coach to be one of the 32 NFL head coaches. Knowing Calhoun, he would be a great ambassador for the academy from an even bigger platform. I think the program would be fine if Tim DeRuyter came back from Texas A&M to be the head coach (and, I don’t think it’s a secret he’d be the favorite to replace Calhoun). And nobody could begrudge Calhoun if he did leave. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And I think it should be a great sense of pride for Air Force, if it happened.
- What if he doesn’t go? My initial thought, when asked, was that there was no chance Calhoun could pass up the Denver Broncos, if the opportunity came about. I’m not so sure right now, after talking to some people. The chances he would go might be 95 percent, 98 percent – I don’t know. But I don’t think it’s 100 percent. Calhoun keeps his thoughts on job openings very close to the vest, so it’s hard to get a good read on what he would do. But here are some things to ponder: Calhoun legitimately loves the Air Force Academy. He has a deep appreciation for the mission of the academy, and his role in it. He’s not a guy that has ever brought up money with athletics director Hans Mueh – money doesn’t drive him. Going to the NFL would mean a lot more scrutiny and a lot more hours. He knows this, he spent four years in the NFL before becoming Air Force’s coach. Air Force has treated him pretty well, and he enjoys what he does. He could probably be the Falcons coach for the next couple decades, make good money and be very happy. I’m not saying he’s going to slam the door in the Broncos’ face, but I’m not so sure it’s an absolute, positive lock he would leave Air Force for the Broncos, as crazy as that may sound. At very least, I am pretty confident in saying it would be very difficult for him to leave the academy.
He would be a good NFL coach: The most ignorant statements I read or hear regarding Calhoun have to do with him being a triple-option coach. As in, “I don’t want the triple option here at (the Broncos/State U)!” The Houston Texans didn’t run the triple option, folks. Calhoun was a NFL offensive coordinator, and wanted to run a balanced offense at Air Force when he came. That he was able to realize the triple option (and the Falcons don’t use it all the time, they incorporate many zone-blocking plays) was what worked best at a service academy and became a proficient coach at it says plenty about his ability.
Also, I remember in December of 2006 asking around in the Broncos locker room about what players thought about Calhoun, who was in Houston, but had been with Denver from 2003-05 and was the favorite to be Fisher DeBerry’s successor. They all had great respect for him. Here’s a Rod Smith quote from a story I wrote late that month:
“Troy’s very smart,” Smith said. “When he was an assistant here, he didn’t get to express himself a whole lot but he’s a very smart guy and he knew exactly what we were doing offensively.
“He’s a great guy, too. Good things happen to good people, and he’s definitely one of the best people I’ve ever worked with.”
I think he’d do fine leading NFL players as a head coach. And he wouldn’t run the triple option.
(The quickest way to get any updates I have on Calhoun and the Broncos will be to follow me on Twitter. Or stop by and ask a question, I try to answer them all.)
Frank,
Do you think that Troy would try to take Tim Deruyter with him, along with some of his other assistants?
Have you heard is Denver interested in the interim coach as head coach?
It’s hard to fathom Calhoun ‘s name being mentioned in the same breath as seasoned vets like Cowher and Gruden. With the recent spectacular failure of folks like Spurrier and Saban in the NFL, the thought of a college coach, let alone a non-BCS coach, let alone a service academy coach making that leap is almost laughable.
That said, I really think he could do it. Anyone who says he’s a triple option specialist doesn’t know what they’re talking about. It would be a bold, daring hire in an “always take the conservative approach” league, but I really do think he’d have a chance a being successful.
In a perfect world, I’d like to have Calhoun remain at USAFA 20+ years, but I agree that it would be good for the program if he goes to the NFL and becomes successful. Certainly far better for the Academy than having him leave for some football factory BCS program.
[...] — as well as Vandy, reportedly — over the last month, and his name has come up as a potential candidate for the NFL’s Denver Broncos following the firing of Josh McDaniels Monday. Permalink 0 [...]
This is a great article! I’d love to see more about any actual proceedings in the hiring process.
I have personally met Troy Calhoun and was blown away at his presence in the room. As soon as I shook his hand, he made you want to be a part of who he is because he is warm yet firm and commands the best from you. As a track recruit, I saw that his leadership brought a standard across the athletic department and into the track coaches. It was a very hard decision for me to pass up the Academy to go to Harvard because of the tradition of leadership in the athletic department at the Academy.
I believe Calhoun would be a great fit for the Denver Broncos. The Denver Broncos have been lacking a coach who commands the respect of the players in the organization. In recent years, the Broncos have appeared to have the talent yet stumble because of player-coach tensions. If Calhoun can get a handle on players in Denver, he will be able to create an amazing program in Denver and become a power in the AFC West again.
You look at the list of great coaches who were either an assistant at a service academy or a head coach…..some really good names….
Denver could not get a better man….and with class.
That goes for basketball as well……some great names have been
at service academys over the years…..and very successful today.
James, obviously the first part is answered, but the second part – I think the interim coach there has to do something very, very good in the final four weeks to get that job.