ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- He was the dream guy for his dream job. When Gary Kubiak stepped to the podium on Jan. 20, 2015, to become the Denver Broncos' coach, he said, “when I got off the plane, I knew that I was home.”

Both Kubiak and general manager John Elway, his former Broncos teammate, believed it was going to be a long and prosperous return. Instead, Kubiak is expected to step down as Broncos coach after Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Oakland Raiders.

Kubiak's Broncos are 8-7 this year after going 12-4 in his debut season, in which he guided Denver to a Super Bowl win over the Carolina Panthers.

In addition to leading the Broncos to their third championship, Kubiak won two Super Bowl rings in Denver as Mike Shanahan’s offensive coordinator in 1997 and 1998. He is certainly one of the organization’s most important figures.

Broncos coach Gary Kubiak is expected to step down after two seasons due to health concerns. AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

There have been rumblings about Kubiak’s health since he spent a night in the hospital after the Broncos’ Oct. 9 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Kubiak was diagnosed with a “complex migraine condition” and was away from the team for a week after his hospital stay. He did not coach Oct. 13 in San Diego.

Kubiak has said multiple times since that he was trying to improve his sleep habits and had consistently deflected health questions. Kubiak was asked Friday about his plan for next season and acted as if he felt good enough to coach in 2017, but he stopped short of definitively saying he would.

“Why, do I look bad?” Kubiak asked Friday with a smile when asked about the 2017 season. “You guys know, I love this league, I love the Broncos, I love the work. I’m all-in on the Raiders right now. There will be time for reflection and all that stuff next week.”

This was not the first health scare for Kubiak, who had a mini-stroke in 2013 when he collapsed during a game while coaching the Houston Texans. Kubiak returned to the sideline that same month and was fired later that season, in which the Texans finished 2-14.

Kubiak has often said he learned to delegate after that incident and rely on his assistant coaches. When he was hired by the Broncos in 2015, his wife, Rhonda, said at the announcement she supported her husband’s desire to return to the Broncos, but at the time added: “I always worry about him ... but this is what he does, and it gives all of us so much joy to watch him do what he loves.”

Kubiak and his family have come to the conclusion it is likely best to step away. Kubiak is one of the most well-liked people in the league, by his peers, assistant coaches and players alike.

Former Broncos and Texans tight end Jeb Putzier has said: “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him. He cut me and, after I talked to him about it, I felt like I should apologize because I had let him down. He is just so up front with you. He gives it to you straight. He might be the most honest guy in football. A great coach, a great man.”

Former Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer, who had his best seasons as a pro with Kubiak, including the Broncos’ first 4,000-yard passing season, said: “Kubes made me so much better. He’s honest, talented and knows people and the game. He is always going to be anyone’s best coach they ever had.”

Kubiak showed those attributes when he handled quarterback Peyton Manning’s exit from the lineup in 2015 because of a foot injury and Manning’s subsequent return for the regular-season finale and the team's postseason run. Manning consistently said Kubiak told him and Brock Osweiler how things were going to go before it reached the public domain.

This season was difficult for the Broncos and Kubiak. The team’s offense struggled mightily as the Broncos went 1-4 over their past five games, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

The Broncos have two young quarterbacks -- Trevor Siemian and rookie Paxton Lynch -- who will both play Sunday against the Raiders. The team is expected to focus on retooling the offensive line in the offseason to protect them. Because of that youth at quarterback, the Broncos’ search for a new coach could lean toward someone with a background as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.

Kubiak’s departure will leave a gaping hole in the long-term plan the Broncos had in place. Elway, his former roommate as a player and longtime friend, believed there was no better person to coach the Broncos.

Now, as it appears Kubiak will step away, Elway will be charged with trying to replace him.