Kubiack/Texans May Talk During Bye Week

[TEXANS84]

[ENGLEWOOD - If someone in the NFL wants to talk to Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak about a head coaching job, next week is it.

At least until the Broncos postseason is over.

By league rules, because the Broncos are in the playoffs and have a bye week, those teams interested in Kubiak can interview him only next week - the rule states interviews must take place before wild-card games are played Jan. 7 - if they have been granted permission by the Broncos.

If they do not talk to Kubiak next week, they will have to wait until the Broncos have concluded their postseason.

With the end of the regular season coming Sunday, several teams are expected to make coaching changes as soon as Monday or Tuesday. Many in the league expect the Houston Texans to ask permission to interview Kubiak next week.

For his part, including this week, Kubiak consistently has said he doesn't want to comment on potential head coaching jobs that aren't yet open. But he is a Houston native and is expected to be one of Texans owner Bob McNair's first stops.

He interviewed with McNair for the Texans job when the expansion team came into the league for the 2002 season, and the team eventually hired Dom Capers.

At 2-13, the Texans have performed far below McNair's preseason prediction that they would compete for a playoff spot, and McNair informally has been asking some colleagues in the league about potential replacements for Capers.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drm...354592,00.html

[GP]

Nice dig.

Thanks for the info.

Our "Monday morning" we've been wanting all season might just come this Monday.

McNair should fire Capers Monday morning, and then fly to Denver Monday afternoon and tell Kubiak he has the job.

[Sco-tai]

Okay...being retardedly optimistic...but wouldn't that be stellar if we got Kubiack, and he hired their O-line coach as our O-coordinator. And to top it off...they let David Carr call the plays!

Can you say...NOT 2 - 14 NEXT YEAR! lol

[texan279]

All I know is our people better be on the next flight to Denver!

[DocBar]

I think Kubiak would be a great coach, but what other prospects are out there? Not too many coordinators have produced year in year out like Kubiak and not gotten an HC position. What about Jerry Grey-Bills DC??

[Coach C.]

Kubiak would be a big time hire and is my favorite as of right now. He is young, smart, and a no-nonsense type of guy. Imagine a younger Shanahan with Texas ties and that is Kubiak pretty much.

Jerry Gray
Tim Lewis
Mariucci
Williams
Al Saunders
Brad Childress
Wade Phillips
Cam Cameron
Ron Rivera

These are all names you will hear, plus some other guys like the OC from Cinci. It is gonna be an interesting offseason. Right now it is expected that the Lions, Texans, Saints, Chiefs, and a couple of other job openings will be available

[houstonhurricane]

This news almost makes me optimistic!

[mean mark8]

I like Kubiak, but I'm also very concerned about our defense. We've lost our last 4 or 5 games because we can't stop anybody. I don't want Wade Phillips as a head coach but if Dan Reeves ends up as GM maybe we would have an inside track on Kubiak as HC and Phillips as DC with the Denver Offensive Line coach as a possible OC. I think I'd like that scenario.

[Grid]

Phillips contract isnt up as DC of San Diego.. we cant get him as DC. We could offer him the HC position because it is a promotion.. but not the DC.

[tulexan]

I don't think that Phillips would accept another DC position. Coordinators generally want to move up the food chain after having a lot of success. Phillips would potentially come here as a HC, but not as DC again. And I don't believe that we are looking for a defensive minded coach this offseason.

[Grid]

I havent seen anything that says we arent looking at a Defensive minded coach. I know some people HERE have said they want an offensive minded coach.. but personally id like a former DC. We have a good running game.. could be better if we improved our Oline and got a bit of a passing game going.

That, combined with a good, solid defense.. can win championships.

[tulexan]

I believe that I heard that from either Sean Salisbury, Chris Mortensen, or John Clayton.

[Nighthawk]

Originally Posted by Grid

Phillips contract isnt up as DC of San Diego.. we cant get him as DC. We could offer him the HC position because it is a promotion.. but not the DC.

Could you offer him DC and Assistant Head Coach, Defense?

[texan279]

Originally Posted by tulexan

I believe that I heard that from either Sean Salisbury, Chris Mortensen, or John Clayton.

I saw the guy on Cold Pizza earlier in the week that always has the "inside scoop" and he was saying the Texans are looking for an offensive minded coach, and I know it's just speculation, rumors, and heresay...

[tulexan]

I think that is where I saw it. They were doing a rundown on which coaches are gone and what the team is looking for.

[texan279]

Originally Posted by tulexan

I think that is where I saw it. They were doing a rundown on which coaches are gone and what the team is looking for.

Yeah, he was talking about how Reeves wanted to be the head coach next season but McNair doesn't like the idea and wants to go in a different direction so I am not sure how credible this guy's info is...

Give me a defensive head coach any day. Kubiak may be fine, but I think Wade Phillips would be better, especially in structuring our 3-4 defense. If we switch to a 4-3 then go ahead an add another year on to next year to get it right.

[Carr Bombed]

Originally Posted by Grid

I havent seen anything that says we arent looking at a Defensive minded coach. I know some people HERE have said they want an offensive minded coach.. but personally id like a former DC. We have a good running game.. could be better if we improved our Oline and got a bit of a passing game going.

That, combined with a good, solid defense.. can win championships.

I agree that defense win championships, but that doesn't mean you have to have a defensive minded head coach to have a great defense. If you throw out Belichick, most of the coaches that have won the superbowls have been offensive minded coaches. John Gruden, Dick Vermiel, Brian Billeck, Mike shannahan, and Mike holmgrem. I could go on. Granted most of these coaches had great defenses, but just because they were offensive minded didn't prevent them from having a great defense. They were just smart enough to hire quality DCs and then let them do their stuff and not get involved. Even arguably the best defense in history was led by a offensive minded head coach in Mike D. This makes the hiring of our next DC very important. If you think about it the choice in your DC might be even more important than who you choice as head coach.

[Scooter]

Originally Posted by Grid

I havent seen anything that says we arent looking at a Defensive minded coach. I know some people HERE have said they want an offensive minded coach.. but personally id like a former DC. We have a good running game.. could be better if we improved our Oline and got a bit of a passing game going.

That, combined with a good, solid defense.. can win championships.

most fans are looking to get out of our rut, which is primarily offensive. what i've noticed though is that we give our running game WAY too much credit, but we dont give DD near enough. more often than not he's hit behind the LOS by a defender, a guard knocked backwards, or norris running into our own guys with his eyes closed. what i'm looking for in kubiak is brains and a passion to win. he's got the pedigree, he's arguably the smartest guy in football at any level, and has proven his value. what he's already brought is an impeccable offense during his tenure, what he hasnt in his time is a defense (strictly because of position), although he's garnered the respect of his defensive players such as pro-bowler john lynch. i think his intelligence & his natural football intuition will carry over to the defensive side when given the chance. the ONLY questions about kubiak are the staff that he'd carry with him, and his ability to responsibly delagate authority. what i'm sure of, is that he COULD NOT do worse on the defensive side than dom & fangio. the only thing holding our defense together during their tenure was the vets ... sharper, payne, foley, glenn, walker, coleman. we've run out of vets and it's apparent that the coaches are clueless.

with what kubiak's learned from shannahan & his intellect, i'm not too worried about his ability to coach. the area in this scenario that i'm most concerned about is our scouting/gm's ability to provide better players to work with than travis johnson, morlon greenwood, & phillip buchannon. sorry, but even belichick isnt going to go far with these as his options.

what i'd love to see more than anything is an offense heavy coaching staff & draft. along with that i'd love to see a free agency heavy defense. defense is more about brains than braun and i personally dont care if zach thomas is 65 years old and in a walker ... he's going to be in the right spot to make a play regardless of "scheme". an incredible motor like shawne merrimam can be created. peek, babin, & orr could be in that mold with the proper coaching & veteran leadership.

i played soccer & football. during both, my brain shut down entirely. playing is an instinct that our current staff doesnt stimulate (mainly regarding defense). what they'd prefer is a thought process. merriman, thurman, totupu, & johnson are examples of what happens when instincts and teaching dictate movement ... as opposed to our current philosophy of read, decide, act (the play ended 2 seconds before the "act" phase ... coincidently the same time of alexander's TD celebration).

ps. please dont quote me, it's new years so i've got an influenced opinion =)

[Grid]

I agree totally on instinct being key to a successful defense. And that is exactly why Fangio's defense is sucking it up. We need someone to come in and let our guys loose.

As for our running game.. im not saying its top 10.. but it is moving in that direction. We use the same run blocking scheme as Denver.. and you are starting to see that pay dividends. We can line up almost any of our RBs back there and they can have a fairly good game.

If we had a defensive minded coach.... someone who would focus on that defense and turn it into a monster.... well.. imagine the Ravens defense of a few years ago.. with the Denver running game of the last decade or so... that is a championship team. Thats what im thinking anyway.