Two Denver Broncos coaching legends are among the nine people who have been named as semifinalists for possible election as part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
On Wednesday, those two, Dan Reeves and Mike Shanahan, took the next step toward having their names forever enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The list will be narrowed down on Nov. 18 when a committee will discuss the nine semifinalists at length to select one finalist to present to the full selection committee for consideration when it casts ballots for a new class of enshrinees in early 2026.
Shanahan led the Broncos through some of the best years in franchise history from 1995 to 2008. He won back-to-back Super Bowls with the orange and blue (1997, 1998) and has coached more games as the Broncos’ head coach than anyone (224). His 138 regular-season wins and eight playoff wins are both the top marks in franchise history. He is also well-known for starting the Shanahan coaching tree, a group of some of the best coaches in modern football that features Gary Kubiak, the head coach for the 2015 Broncos squad that won Super Bowl 50.
Reeves doesn’t have the two Super Bowls that Shanahan has, but is still one of the most influential coaches in franchise history. In his time with the orange and blue (1981-1992), he won 110 regular-season games and seven playoff games, both of which are the second-best marks in franchise history behind Shanahan. He led the organization to three AFC titles (1986, 1987, 1989) but never captured that elusive Lombardi Trophy. He was also named the UPI AFC Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1991.
The two are up against Bill Belichick, Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Marty Schottenheimer and George Seifert.
Reeves passed away from dementia-related complications in 2022. He was 77 years old.
Both legendary coaches are already members of the Broncos Ring of Fame.
Current Broncos coach Sean Paytonrecently said of Shanahan:
“He should be in, he’s going to get in, and he needs to get in sooner than later. Two championships, the coaching tree, the history as a coordinator, then as a head coach. And I think I don’t even want to compare him against others that are in or candidates to be in, but his impact beyond just two Super Bowls, his impact on the game, and offensively, having played against his teams, you know, it’s time (for him to get in.)”
Another former Denver coach, Alex Gibbs, was in the cut for the final 12 but didn’t make it to the nine-person cutdown.