Vic Fangio, Denver Broncos. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
Which five NFL head coaches will glow up in 2020 by having a great season?
For some, it may take only a year for everyone’s entire perception of you to change.
In truth, there are no overnight successes. If you truly believe, then you will never be success. At its core, it is about the work. Are you willing to put in the effort every single day, especially on days you are exhausted or have no interest in doing so whatsoever. You can see this across any industry, but it’s ever-present in the NFL. There is a reason it’s referred to as Not For Long.
One of the best things the NFL has going for it is competitive balance. Unless you are one of the five worst run franchises in the league, and you know who you are, a team is never that far away from making or contending for the postseason. With an expanded field in 2020, 14 teams will be getting into the playoffs in January. Maybe we’ll see one or all five of these head coaches there?
What we’re going to talk about today is the art of the glow up, how the work someone has put in so beyond undeniable that it’s all we can talk about. Though Bill Belichick may coach forever because we haven’t ruled him out as being a cyborg sent back in time to kill us all on the football field, there will be a group of new head coaches who will end up being the faces of the league.
For some, the glow up will be from rock bottom to the summit. For others, it’ll be a rise from complete obscurity to unquestioned national relevancy. All it takes is one great year for everyone to stop what they’re doing and notice all that hard work someone has put in. It’s glow up season in the NFL and these head coaches will have their day in the sun this fall.
Here are five NFL head coaches who most likely will glow up in 2020.
5
Vic Fangio
Head Coach Denver Broncos
After years of being a defensive coordinator at all levels, Vic Fangio got his first head-coaching opportunity in 2019 to lead the Denver Broncos. He might have been 60-years-old, but it was a long time coming. Despite a bad September, Fangio’s Broncos got out of their 0-4 hole to finish with a 7-9 record. It took a while to get going, but the Broncos are certainly trending up in 2020.
Though usurping the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West standings seems to farfetched at this point, Denver has every reason to believe its team can contend for one of three wild card spots in the AFC this fall. It wouldn’t be shocking if the AFC West is the first division in NFL history to send all four of its teams to the postseason. Overall, Denver feels like it’s getting in.
The reason Fangio could experience a glow up is it’s rare for a defensive-minded coach to get the respect he deserves when football has become an increasingly offensive-driven and passing-centric game. Too bad the 61-year-old outside linebackers coach is about as good as anybody in the world in generating a pass rush. That will be key to the Broncos’ return to the AFC playoffs.
With Drew Lock at quarterback, the Broncos feel like a team that’s finally ready to compete with the rest of the best in the AFC. Though they are still a second-tier team at best in 2020, getting the Broncos back into the postseason after a five-year absence would be quite the accomplishment for the longtime defensive coordinator who finally got his shot to lead a team.