Having been to the Super Bowl twice before — once as a coordinator, once as a head coach — Broncos coach John Fox has learned the most important lesson about getting to this week’s game.
“That you don’t want to lose,” Fox cracked Wednesday morning.
Of course, Fox also got a subtle dig at his previous employer when asked if he’s a better coach now, or whether he just has better players than when he coached the Panthers in this game 10 years ago.
“I had good players in Carolina. I think that was the only Super Bowl they’ve ever been to,” he said. “It was a great team, great locker room, as you’d expect. I think all these are different. This time of year from now, I’ll have a completely different team. It’s just the way of the National Football League. Coaches change teams. Players change teams.
“I’m just really soaking this one in. It’s a great bunch. I’m very proud of this bunch, just like I was with the Carolina team. So I’ve enjoyed, really, all my football teams and I think you get better. I think the more experience, or the more you do it, the better you get. You should, whether it’s your job or my job.”
Fox obviously takes pride in being the only Panthers coach to get to the Super Bowl (though there have only been four of them, and two of the others have been to the playoffs). But the way his career there ended, with a messy lame-duck contract situation leading to his departure, guarantees that he’ll always enjoy working little tweaks like that into his press conferences.