Red Miller was elected to the Broncos Ring of Fame in 2017, joining Dan Reeves as the only two coaches in team history to receive the prestigious honor.
Hired as the eighth head coach in Broncos history on Feb. 1, 1977, Miller compiled a 40-22 (.645) regular-season record and a 2-3 (.400) playoff mark from 1977-80. He never had a losing record in his four seasons with the Broncos, tying for the fourth-most regular-season wins (40) in the NFL during his head coaching tenure — a figure that ranksfourth in Broncos history.
Miller’s 1977 squad posted a 12-2 record and won Denver’s first-ever AFC West title, wrestling it away from the defending Super Bowl-champion Oakland Raiders. After earning their first-ever playoff berth, the Broncos went on to beat the Raiders in the AFC Championship Game and advanced to their first Super Bowl.
Despite losing to the Dallas Cowboys 27-10 in Super Bowl XII, Miller was named 1977 NFL Coach of the Year by the Associated Press and K.C. 101 Club. The Broncos finished the 1978 season with a 10-6 record and won its second consecutive AFC West crown before losing in the divisional playoffs to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Denver finished 10-6 in 1979 to qualify for the playoffs for a third consecutive year before posting an 8-8 mark in 1980, Miller’s final season.
Miller’s teams were fueled by the famed Orange Crush defense, which allowed an NFL-low 15.0 points per game from 1977-80.
Miller died on September 27, 2017 at age 89, nearly five months after learning of his Ring of Fame selection.