ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- It might seem a little strange a team with three division titles, two Super Bowl trips and one Super Bowl victory over the past four seasons is poised to employ its third head coach over that span.

John Fox and the Denver Broncos parted ways after a lackluster playoff loss ended the 2014 season -- after Fox’s fourth consecutive AFC West title -- and Gary Kubiak was hired. And Monday, citing health concerns, Kubiak stepped away from coaching after the Broncos’ first playoff miss since 2010.

And the Broncos are now on the interview circuit, as Dave Toub, Kyle Shanahan and Vance Joseph will have the first three opportunities to be Denver's next coach.

But recent events beg the question: Just how tough is it to be the Broncos head coach? Consider: the fan base has purchased every ticket since the AFC-NFL merger in 1970, the franchise has more Super Bowl appearances than losing seasons since Pat Bowlen bought the team in 1984 and Hall of Famer John Elway is chief football decision-maker.

“This is a great place to work, but the expectations are high," Elway said. “Those expectations have been set by Mr. Bowlen a long time ago. Everybody that comes here, whether it’s a coach or a player, understands that the standard is to be able to compete for world championships. Does it add a little bit more? Sure it does. I think if you’re good at what you do, I think you want that challenge."

That is what the new coach has waiting for him, and a candidate will have to convince the Broncos' brass he can handle "that challenge." The expectations won't change.

On the day Kubiak -- one of Elway's closest friends, a former teammate and former coach -- stepped away from his job, Elway reminded one and all he believed the Broncos were poised, with a good offseason and if they hire the “right guy," to get back in the Super Bowl conversation.

So a new coach looking for a honeymoon would be wise to look elsewhere.

“That’s how this organization thinks," Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said. “It’s everywhere from ownership to Elway to the fans. Everything we do here is about winning."

There is plenty awaiting a head coach. The Broncos’ facilities, including their mammoth indoor complex, are among the best in the league, the team spends in free agency and it has consistently found starters in the draft.

The Broncos also have a defensive player of the year candidate -- Von Miller -- in his prime and leading a defense that was No. 4 overall, No. 4 in scoring and No. 1 against the pass in 2016.

“We’ve done a lot here recently to make this a very good place to come to work," Broncos president and CEO Joe Ellis said. “... We’ve created a culture with John [Elway]'s leadership to make it a place that is desirable for players to come to, no question in my mind on that. I think the tradition -- certainly under Mr. Bowlen’s leadership as owner and everything we stand for -- I think players understand that and respect that. You look at that and say, ‘I have a chance to come to Denver and be successful.’ It’s football first here."

Kubiak embraced the Broncos life, taking over from Fox, who coached in a Super Bowl and won 12 games or more in the three seasons before he was replaced. Even Elway admitted the expectations Kubiak inherited in 2015 could have been “maybe the toughest situation in the league."

But Kubiak had played for the Broncos and spent 11 seasons on Mike Shanahan’s staff.

Certainly Kyle Shanahan -- Mike’s son and the Atlanta Falcons' offensive coordinator -- knows what to expect during a job interview set for Saturday, given that his father spent 14 years as Broncos head coach.

Toub, the Kansas City Chiefs' special-teams coordinator who is scheduled to interview Friday, has likely spent enough time in the AFC West to know what he would be getting into.

And Joseph, the Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator whom the Broncos are expected to interview next week, was on Kubiak’s staff in Houston and so would have a resource in Kubiak, if he wished to ask.

Elway sees it all as an advantage for the person who eventually gets the job.

“The opportunity that’s here because of the commitment by ownership to commit the dollars and the monetary things to be able to compete year in and year out is something that is second to none," Elway said. “That’s why it’s a great opportunity for somebody."