Dick Vermeil continuing to push ex-Broncos coaches for Hall of Fame

Apr. 6—When Dick Vermeil was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August, he made note in his speech of seven other former NFL coaches he wanted to be enshrined, including former Broncos bosses Dan Reeves and Mike Shanahan.

In the eight months since, Vermeil hasn't slowed down in his pursuit to get some other coaches inducted. He has spoken to Hall of Fame officials, those on the selection committee for coaches and contributors and to the media.

"Every time I get a chance, I mention it," he said in a phone interview with The Denver Gazette.

Vermeil had three distinct coaching stops in the NFL. He headed the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976-82, leading them to the Super Bowl in January 1981. He coached the St. Louis Rams from 1997-99, winning a Super Bowl in January 2000. And he headed the Kansas City Chiefs from 2001-05 before finally retiring at age 69.

"I will forever be appreciative and grateful for this honor," Vermeil said in closing his Hall of Fame speech in Canton, Ohio. "And about the only thing that will make me feel a little better about me standing here as the 28th NFL Hall of Fame football coach is when I see Mike Holmgren come in, when I see Dan Reeves come in, when I see Marty Schottenheimer come in, when I see Mike Shanahan come in, when I see Tom Coughlin come in, when I see George Seifert come in, when I see Don Coryell come in. Because believe me, if I deserve it, so do they."

Coryell, who died in 2010, was elected to the Hall of Fame in February and will be recognized as part of the 2023 class at enshrinement ceremonies in August. So that shortens Vermeil's list by one.

Vermeil has been frustrated to see a backlog of coaches that he believes are worthy of making the Hall of Fame. He was especially displeased with a 22-class stretch from 1998-2019 that included just seven coaches being inducted.

"There were only a few coaches put in over a 25-year period," Vermeil said. "You're getting me worked up."

Vermeil has been pleased to see some rule changes in recent years that have gotten more coaches into the Hall but he believes there is still much to do. Coaches recently named include Jimmy Johnson and Bill Cowher in 2020 and Tom Flores in 2021 before the selections of Vermeil and Coryell.

There had been a stretch in which the Hall would alternate years between putting two senior players and one coach or contributor up for consideration to having one senior player and two from the coach/contributor category become finalists. Changes were made starting with the 2023 class in which for a three-year period three senior players and one coach or contributor would be put up. Those finalists then need 80 percent of the vote from the 49-member selection committee to be enshrined, but that is considered all but a certainty.

"I would be in favor of any time they put in a coach, they put a deserving deceased coach in with a comparable or better record," Vermeil said of what he has proposed. "Otherwise, you're going to keep having more deceased coaches to try to get in."

Of the seven coaches Vermeil mentioned in his induction speech, in addition to Coryell, Schottenheimer and Reeves are deceased. Vermeil is hoping Reeves, who coached the Broncos from 1981-92 and died in 2022, soon will be enshrined.

"He was a great man," Vermeil said. "He had integrity. His ego never got in the way of his integrity. There aren't many who did what he did in coaching."

Reeves also coached the New York Giants from 1993-96 and Atlanta Falcons from 1997-2003, compiling a 190-165-2 record in 23 seasons. He led the Broncos to Super Bowls in the 1986, 1987 and 1989 seasons and the Falcons there in the 1998 season, although his teams lost all four games.

"Marv Levy is in the Hall of Fame, and he was in four Super Bowls and didn't win one," Vermeil said. "Bud Grant is in the Hall of Fame and lost four Super Bowls. They deserve it. (Reeves) certainly deserves to be in there."

Reeves and Shanahan last year were among 10 semifinalists for the one coach/contributor finalist spot before it went to Coryell. Shanahan coached the Broncos from 1995-2008 and won Super Bowls after the 1997 and 1998 seasons, the second a victory over Reeves' Falcons.

"If they want to keep saying it's the biggest game in the NFL, you have to include it," Vermeil said of Shanahan's Super Bowl wins. "It's a dominating credential for the Hall of Fame."

Excluding active coaches Bill Belichick and Andy Reid, Shanahan is one of three coaches not in the Hall with multiple Super Bowl wins. Seifert and Coughlin also won it all twice.

Shanahan also led the Oakland Raiders from 1988-89 and Washington from 2010-13, compiling an overall record of 170-138 in 20 seasons as a coach. He was known for his innovation on offense and many teams have used his system.

"I always thought a lot about what he got out of the quarterback position," said Vermeil, noting that John Elway had lost three Super Bowls with the Broncos before closing his career with a pair of wins under Shanahan.

Elway had retired when Vermeil coached the Chiefs. But he remembers how tough it still was to face Shanahan's teams.

"I coached against him enough to know he belongs in the Hall of Fame," Vermeil said. "I coached against him six times in Denver, and we never won a ballgame. The only way we could beat them was in Kansas City."

Mike Shanahan file

Overall record: 170-138, 8-6 playoffs (138-86, 8-5 with Broncos)

Accolades: Two-time Super Bowl champion with the Broncos (1997-98)

Info: He is the winningest coach in Broncos history. Helped John Elway win back-to-back Super Bowls. Also went to the playoffs with Brian Griese and Jake Plummer as his quarterbacks in Denver. Made playoffs with Washington in 2012. Concepts of his offense are still run in the NFL today.

Dan Reeves file

Overall record: 190-165-2, 11-9 playoffs (110-73-1, 7-6 with Broncos)

Accolades: Took Broncos (3 times) and Falcons (1 time) to Super Bowl

Info: Coached with Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons. Made playoffs with each team during his tenure there. Only AFC coach in the 1980s to take his team to two straight Super Bowls. Second-winningest coach in Broncos franchise history.