Broncos coach Gary Kubiak informed his players after their victory over Oakland on Sunday that he is stepping down one season after winning the Super Bowl, as the grind of coaching was taking too big of a toll on his health.
"In all honesty, I've struggled this year," said Kubiak, who has fought fatigue ever since suffering a complex migraine back in October.
Kubiak, 55, leaves with two years left on his contract and a 24-11 record in Denver. Including his eight seasons with Houston, his career head coaching record is 87-77.
"I'm glad we sent him off with a win," quarterback Trevor Siemian said.
The 24-6 victory over the Raiders was a bittersweet capstone to a disappointing season that began with expectations of repeating as Super Bowl champs and a 4-0 record, and ended without a trip to the playoffs and a 9-7 mark.
During his last year with the Texans, he collapsed on the field because of what was diagnosed as a mini-stroke. This year, he suffered the migraine Oct. 9 after a loss to Atlanta. He took a week off and had appeared in good health since his return.
It's an irony not lost on his players that Kubiak was so adroit at keeping players' bodies fresh for gameday but couldn't stay healthy himself.
"He understood our bodies, I think, better than any coach I've ever had," Denver cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said. "… That's one thing I loved the most."
