Broncos hire Fox as head coach

By foxsports
Published

Associated Press
January 13, 2010

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) -- The Denver Broncos hired former Carolina Panthers coach John Fox on Thursday to resurrect a downtrodden team.

Fox's contract wasn't renewed by the Panthers following an NFL-worst 2-14 season. He replaces Josh McDaniels, who was fired Dec. 6 amid the Broncos' worst slide in four decades and the embarrassing Spygate II videotaping scandal.

The 55-year-old Fox went 78-74 including playoffs in nine seasons at Carolina. The Panthers were coming off a 1-15 season when he took over in 2002 and led them to a 7-9 mark in his first year before guiding them to the Super Bowl in his second season.

Fox arrived in Denver on Wednesday to meet with new Broncos chief football executive John Elway after his flight out of North Carolina was delayed three times this week by winter weather. He was the fifth candidate interviewed.

Denver is coming off a franchise-worst 4-12 season.

Elway wrote on Twitter in announcing the hiring Thursday that Fox "is a dynamic and proven leader who will energize our entire organization."