Coaching Career
Speedie resurfaced in 1960, when he was named the end coach for the new American Football League's Houston Oilers under former teammate and Oilers head coach Lou Rymkus. The Oilers won the AFL championship in 1960, but Rymkus was fired after the team got off to a slow start the following year. Team owner Bud Adams urged Speedie to stay on the staff, but Speedie resigned out of loyalty to Rymkus.
The AFL's Denver Broncos hired Speedie the following year as an end coach. He served under head coach Jack Faulkner, who replaced Frank Filchock that season and was voted AFL Coach of the Year for turning the team around and posting a 7–7 record. Faulkner led the team to a 2–11–1 season in 1963, however, and Speedie replaced him the following year as the Broncos went on a 14-game losing streak.
In Speedie's first game leading the team, the Broncos ended the losing streak with a 33–27 upset victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Two weeks later, Speedie suspended placekicker Gene Mingo and defensive back Willie West for "conduct detrimental to the club", reportedly as a result of a late-night party at a hotel. The team posted a 2–7–1 record under Speedie, and he was signed to a two-year contract after the season.
In his first full season as the Broncos' coach in 1965, Speedie's team posted a 4–10 record. After two losses to begin the 1966 season, Speedie resigned and assistant Ray Malavasi took over. He said the move was in the best interest of the club. Speedie had a 6-19-1 record as the Broncos' coach. He then accepted a scouting position with the organization and was based out of his home in Laguna Hills, California. He held the post until his retirement in 1982.
Read more about this topic: Mac Speedie
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