The former NY Giants head coach was fired the moment the last knee touched the ground to end the Giants season, but he was expected to find work and he has in Denver.
The Broncos have not officially made the move yet to hire the recently fired NY Giants head coach, but they are expected to, according to Mike Garafalo of NFL Network:
Former #Giants head coach Pat Shurmur is expected to be the #Broncos’ new offensive coordinator, sources tell me and @RapSheet. Deal not done but decision made on Shurmur’s end and it’s headed that way. Drew Lock gets a new OC.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 12, 2020
Shurmur was caught with a Giants team that he arguably was held on a short leash with as head coach but I would venture to say this is a quality hire by the Broncos.
While Shurmur maybe is not the best head coach material, being fired by the Giants this season and the Browns in 2012, he has loads of great experience as an offensive coordinator. Not only that, he was successful with the Eagles from 2013-2015 helping Chip Kelly orchestrate a fast-paced Philadephia offense that finished top five in two years and 13th in his final year.
Before that in 2010, he helped a rookie Sam Bradford win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award with the (formerly) St. Louis Rams. Lastly, he coached a Vikings offense and made Case Keenum a quality quarterback amongst the mediocrity that surrounded the rest of Keenum’s career.
Pat Shurmur will have an opportunity to mentor Broncos quarterback Drew Lock and try to atone for some of his failures with Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. It’s important to note Shurmur scouted Drew Lock extensively at Missouri and apparently preferred him to current Giants starter Daniel Jones.
Anyhow, Lock showed promise in the five games he got an opportunity in, with seven touchdowns, three interceptions and with 1,020 passing yards as he led Denver to a 4-1 record in the games he started. Shurmur will need to coach Lock into sustained success as he goes into 2020 as Denver’s sole starting quarterback and he’ll get his preferred quarterback this time.
Looks like Shurmur will have his hands full with a quarterback all over again.