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Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaleel McLaughlin against the Buffalo Bills ini the AFC Divisional Round.
One of the most hard-luck head coaches in NFL history and a key figure from the Denver Broncos recent past has landed a new job in the NFL, and he’s headed to a team neck-and-neck with the Broncos as AFC contenders.
“Bills hired former veteran head coach John Fox as a Senior Assistant Coach,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on Friday.
Fox was the head coach for the Broncos from 2011 to 2014 and led them to a 43-8 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII. He was fired one year later after an upset home loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Divisional Round.
One year later, with new head coach Gary Kubiak, the Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
“Joe Brady hiring John Fox is an A+ move,” NFL reporter Jarrett Bailey wrote on his official X account. “First-time head coach hiring a veteran HC in a senior role. Same thing Sean McVay did when he hired Wade Phillips.”
“John Fox is a nice coaching hire for Joe Brady,” Bills fan Mike Monaghan wrote on his official X account. “One of the few HC to bring 2 different franchises to a Super Bowl. A really nice get for Brady. They got their ‘Leslie Frazier.’ ”
Led 2 Different Teams to Super Bowl Appearances
Fox starred as a defensive back at San Diego State in the 1970s and played 2 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before he went into coaching, spending over a decade as a college assistant, including winning the NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) national championship with Boise State in 1980. Fox finally made the leap to the NFL as defensive backs coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1989.
The Raiders gave Fox his first shot at being a defensive coordinator in 1994 and filled the same role for the New York Giants from 1997 to 2001, including an appearance in the Super Bowl following the 2000 season.
Fox was hired by the Carolina Panthers as their head coach in 2002 and led the franchise to its first Super Bowl appearance in his 2nd season, losing to the New England Patriots.
In 9 seasons as Carolina’s head coach, Fox went 73-71 but was fired after going 2-14 in 2010 — the Broncos hired him right away and he went 46-18 in 4 seasons, making the playoffs each year.
Fox still wasn’t out of head coaching chances. The Chicago Bears hired him right after he was fired by the Broncos — he went 14-34 in 3 seasons before he was fired after going 5-11 in 2017.
Since his last head coaching gig Fox, 71 years old, has spent 1 season each with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 and the Detroit Lions in 2023 as a senior defensive assistant.
Bills, Broncos Traded Season-Ending Losses
It’s an interesting time in the rivalry between the Broncos and Bills, who will both be on the short list of legitimate Super Bowl contenders in 2025.
The Bills ended the Broncos’ season with a 31-7 blowout loss in the AFC Wild Card Round in Denver’s 1st playoff appearance in 9 years.
The Broncos returned the favor in dramatic fashion following the 2025 season with a 33-30 overtime win over the Bills in the AFC Divisional Round.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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