In a move that was both sudden and carefully planned, the Broncos management team of Pat Bowlen and Joe Ellis ended the brief but stormy era of Josh McDaniels by firing the head coach Monday afternoon.

McDaniels was called into Bowlen’s office at 4 p.m. and was informed of the move by the team’s 27-year owner and right-hand man, Ellis.

“They said they decided to make a change,” McDaniels said from his home Monday night. “It was very complimentary. It was a very nice discussion. I thanked them for the opportunity they gave me and my family. I told them I respected their decision.”

The Broncos, who announced the firing on their Twitter feed late in the afternoon, have called a news conference for 11 a.m. today to discuss the firing.

Air Force coach Troy Calhoun is among the candidates to replace McDaniels, as is Minnesota Vikings interim head coach Leslie Frazier. When the Broncos went through the search process to replace longtime head coach Mike Shanahan just two years ago, Bowlen and Ellis came away impressed with Frazier.

Until they have hired a new coach, the Broncos announced, Eric Studesville will be their interim head coach for the final four games of the season.

Studesville was a longtime running backs coach with the Buffalo Bills before he was hired this year for that position with the Broncos.

“I am very appreciative of the trust that Mr. Bowlen and the entire Denver Broncos organization have shown in me,” Studesville said in a statement released by the team. “Although the circumstances that this opportunity resulted from are unfortunate, I am excited to lead this football team.”

While McDaniels’ record — 17 losses in the Broncos’ past 22 games — questionable personnel moves and emotional swings didn’t help, it was the integrity assaults the organization took in the aftermath of a spying scandal that speeded up his dismissal.

“My decision to relieve Josh McDaniels as head coach was not taken lightly,” Bowlen said in a statement. “I will always be appreciative of his passion, enthusiasm and hard work, and I thank him for his efforts.

“In the end, I was not satisfied with the results and the direction this team was headed. The decision to make a change was extremely difficult but one that needed to be made for this organization and our fans,” Bowlen said.

McDaniels was relieved with an 11-17 overall record and a little more than $7.5 million left on his contract.

“I would like to thank all of the people who helped us over the last two years,” McDaniels said in a statement released by the club. “I am especially appreciative of the efforts of every player, coach and member of the personnel department who worked so hard every day. I wish Pat Bowlen and the Broncos’ organization nothing but the best in the future.”

McDaniels attended Broncos meetings Monday and met with the media around noon. After he received the news from Bowlen and Ellis, McDaniels packed up his belongings and left the team’s facility about 7:45 p.m.

Bowlen and Ellis told McDaniels they would send along the team’s contractual obligations to his agent, Bob LaMonte, today. There was no mention of a “for cause” dismissal, which if proven would relieve the Broncos of some financial obligation from the $7.5 million remaining on McDaniels’ contract.

Bowlen will pay McDaniels and Shanahan a combined $6.7 million next season.

Dinner with Elway

A few hours after firing McDaniels, Bowlen and his wife were spotted dining with legendary Broncos quarterback John Elway and his wife at Elway’s Cherry Creek steakhouse.

Elway has not hidden his desire to join the team in an executive consultant role. It’s possible the Broncos will eventually hire a front-office executive who will at least equally share authority with the head coach on draft and roster decisions.

After McDaniels was fired, he talked to his brother Ben, who will remain as the Broncos’ quarterbacks coach.

“He’s going to be a very good coach in this league, and I told him to work hard and do his job,” Josh McDaniels said.

McDaniels’ personal assistant, Mark Thewes, will also stay through the season.

It’s no coincidence that McDaniels was fired a little more than a week after it was revealed the team was caught in a videotape violation.

Although Bowlen and Ellis, along with an NFL investigative team, determined McDaniels was unaware that Broncos video coordinator Steve Scarnecchia broke an “integrity-of-the-game” policy by taping a portion of the San Francisco 49ers’ walkthrough practice on Oct. 30 in London, the coach’s failure to report the incident was deemed unforgivable among upper management.

The Denver Post broke the story Saturday, Nov. 27, after which the NFL moved quickly to announce $50,000 fines against McDaniels, and the team, the same day. Broncos management has not said who reported the violation to them, which they investigated before informing the NFL.

Bowlen said it’s his responsibility to get the organization headed in the right direction.

“Everyone, myself included, is accountable for our disappointing season and is now responsible for restoring the culture of winning that has been established by this franchise,” he said in a statement. “Our entire organization is completely focused on returning to the level of prosperity that our fans expect and deserve from the Denver Broncos.”

Players seemed surprised at the news.

“From a personal standpoint, I’m disappointed because he was not only a head coach but a play-caller,” said Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton. “I did really like him as a play-caller. I think he’s a good coach. The players have to be held accountable too. The way we’ve played is on us. You never want to see somebody fired.”

Calhoun is a highly regarded collegiate coach who is familiar with the Broncos. He worked on Mike Shanahan’s staff as an offensive assistant in 2005 when the Broncos reached the AFC championship game, their last playoff appearance. When longtime Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak took the head coaching position with the Houston Texans in 2006, Calhoun followed. Calhoun coached one season with the Texans before becoming the Air Force head coach in 2007. He has led the Falcons to at least eight victories and four bowl appearances in each of his four seasons at Air Force.

McDaniels was a successful offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots when he was hired by Bowlen and Ellis to replace Shanahan after the 2008 season.

Rough from the start

Almost from the beginning, though, McDaniels was embroiled in controversy. Soon after settling in, he engaged in a personality clash with star quarterback Jay Cutler, who eventually was traded to the Chicago Bears in exchange for Orton and draft picks. McDaniels also had fallouts with defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, who left after one season, and tight end Tony Scheffler, who was traded to Detroit this past offseason.

Running back Peyton Hillis, who received only 13 carries from McDaniels last year, was shipped to Cleveland in the offseason for backup quarterback Brady Quinn, but is having a Pro Bowl season. All-pro receiver Brandon Marshall also was traded this past offseason.

After the video scandal broke, the Broncos lost at home to the St. Louis Rams, 36-33, then this past Sunday lost 10-6 at Kansas City, a defeat that officially eliminated them from the playoffs with a 3-9 record.

Had the video controversy weighed on the players’ minds?

“I think losing has been weighing heavy on us, if anything,” Orton said. “Our level of play hasn’t been all that great right now. It’s been frustrating.”

Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com