IS Wade Phillips the "Backup Plan" for a failed Kubiak?

I am sorry if this has already been hashed out in another thread...and I'm certainly not one to stir up controversy *smiles* but I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on this one.

I was talking to another Texans fan the other day and his position was/is that McNair hired Phillips primarily for his abilities as DC but with it in mind that if Kubiak goes out and lays a GIANT EGG in the first few games...(I KNOW! I KNOW...it's Unconscionable to think such things) that he will have a reasonable backup plan to fire Kubiak with the intention of promoting Phillips as HC.

Seems to me like a MAJOR mistake if this was/is his intent.

If your feeling is that your hookin' bull is not gonna be able to cover your cows...then why not get a new bull? And I certainly don't think that buying a new bull with questionable fertility is the way to get it done!

Your thoughts Texans Nation???

I don't doubt this is McNair's intention at all. I believe I've seen mention by several other posters that they hold the same opinion.

Nothing but speculation by some fans disappointed with the decision to keep Kubiak.

infantrycak said:

Nothing but speculation by some fans disappointed with the decision to keep Kubiak.

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It may or may not be his plan. No one knows for sure and of course it's speculation, but it's certainly right up Mcnair's alley and par the course of his previous actions and attitude. If Wade Phillips does end up being the HC of this team one day do you really think that anyone will be even in the least bit surprised?

Texecutioner said:

It may or may not be his plan. No one knows for sure and of course it's speculation, but it's certainly right up Mcnair's alley and par the course of his previous actions and attitude. If Wade Phillips does end up being the HC of this team one day do you really think that anyone will be even in the least bit surprised?

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Surprised? No.
Disgusted? Yes...at least ONE.

You mean to tell me that an owner who doesn't have the sack to cut loose HWMNBN, Dunta Robinson, Kris Brown, and his beloved Gary Kubiak, would pull a stunt whereby he can just slide another guy (Wade Phillips) into the HC spot as easy as 1-2-3 if his beloved Gary Kubiak fails and bombs like we know he will?

Say it ain't so! LOL.

Yeah, that's Bob alright. Chickenshit approach to everything, because he wants to always look so classy and uptown in comparison to others. Instead of going all the way, Bob stops when he's got the blouse unbuttoned halfway...apologizes, and then says it's getting late and he needs to get home.

Yeah, the hire was two-fold: Get a better d-coord, and have a HC waiting in the wings for when the mothership goes down in flames. It's getting easier and easier to see these things coming now. 9 years worth of history.

infantrycak said:

Nothing but speculation by some fans disappointed with the decision to keep Kubiak.

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True. But it was also speculation when I said that we're looking at the Texans next DC the week Wade was fired by the Cowboys. I felt confident in making that prediction. It was painfully obvious with McNair's M.O.

And I think we're looking at the next HC of the Houston Texans in 2013, as well (barring either a 2-14 season that forces McNair to fire Gary or another team hires Wade as HC). [/speculation]

That is why I wanted the Texans to hire Rob Ryan as def coordinator. You could have killed two birds with one stone in case Kubiak stinks it up.

stingray said:

That is why I wanted the Texans to hire Rob Ryan as def coordinator. You could have killed two birds with one stone in case Kubiak stinks it up.

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Gotta' remember your Oilers history: Buddy Ryan punched Kevin Gilbride = Bad P.R.

Bum Phillips and Wade Phillips = Good P.R.

Everything has to fit juuuust right. Nice and neat. Tidy.

McNair comes off as the guy whose sock drawer is arranged by type and color, the same breakfast every morning (wheat toast, orange juice, poached egg), takes the same route to the office at exactly the same time each morning, and lets loose by maybe having TWO cups of coffee instead of the standard one cup. Wild man.

Maybe the guy just thinks that if you do things in an orderly fashion, treat people fairly, exhibit extreme trust and loyalty to your personnel, and maintain a good public image while providing a great gameday experience for fans, that everything else will just come naturally over time? While that's a great way to conduct business, in the sports entertainment world you have to let nature take its course: Your personnel will be happiest if they are winning and succeeding, not by merely being treated well at work but simultaneously being one of the most consistently repeating jokes of the league. I fear he's put the cart before the horse with his efforts to make the Texans organization a private Boy Scouts & Mickey Mouse Club. Good intentions pave the road to hell and all that jazz....

I like how his old goal was "Playoffs or bust" and now he's ramping it up with the words "Super Bowl." LOL. How about this, Bob: Let's just see a total team effort EVERY week and expect that our losses will come not from our own stoopidity but rather because we did the right things in a game but were outplayed by a better team who deserved to win? Let's drop the playoffs talk. Don't even mention the other two words, either. Focus on NOT having our team look like total crap except for the final quarter of each game.

That'd be a start. That's what he ought to be talking about: Starting and finishing in a strong manner, and letting the record and playoff seeding work itself out on its own. Instead, he's talking like a guy who wants to let fans know he wants to win and isn't JUST about the money he's raking in. It's clear to me, IMO, that somebody in his Texans organization is relaying the fans' frustrations and that he's potentially gaining an image (perception is a *****) that he's trying to gain control of before 2011 blows up in his face.

He has been doing quite a bit of P.R. work since the Ravens loss.

If the team on the field put forth the same consistent effort that the P.R. wing of the franchise puts forth, we'd be champs every year.

GP said:

Gotta' remember your Oilers history: Buddy Ryan punched Kevin Gilbride = Bad P.R.

Bum Phillips and Wade Phillips = Good P.R.

Everything has to fit juuuust right. Nice and neat. Tidy.

McNair comes off as the guy whose sock drawer is arranged by type and color, the same breakfast every morning (wheat toast, orange juice, poached egg), takes the same route to the office at exactly the same time each morning, and lets loose by maybe having TWO cups of coffee instead of the standard one cup. Wild man.

Maybe the guy just thinks that if you do things in an orderly fashion, treat people fairly, exhibit extreme trust and loyalty to your personnel, and maintain a good public image while providing a great gameday experience for fans, that everything else will just come naturally over time? While that's a great way to conduct business, in the sports entertainment world you have to let nature take its course: Your personnel will be happiest if they are winning and succeeding, not by merely being treated well at work but simultaneously being one of the most consistently repeating jokes of the league. I fear he's put the cart before the horse with his efforts to make the Texans organization a private Boy Scouts & Mickey Mouse Club. Good intentions pave the road to hell and all that jazz....

I like how his old goal was "Playoffs or bust" and now he's ramping it up with the words "Super Bowl." LOL. How about this, Bob: Let's just see a total team effort EVERY week and expect that our losses will come not from our own stoopidity but rather because we did the right things in a game but were outplayed by a better team who deserved to win? Let's drop the playoffs talk. Don't even mention the other two words, either. Focus on NOT having our team look like total crap except for the final quarter of each game.

That'd be a start. That's what he ought to be talking about: Starting and finishing in a strong manner, and letting the record and playoff seeding work itself out on its own. Instead, he's talking like a guy who wants to let fans know he wants to win and isn't JUST about the money he's raking in. It's clear to me, IMO, that somebody in his Texans organization is relaying the fans' frustrations and that he's potentially gaining an image (perception is a *****) that he's trying to control before 2011 blows up in his face.

He has been doing quite a bit of P.R. work since the Ravens loss.

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Reminds me of my Grandma.

Not plan, but backup plan. I agree

Luv_ya_blue said:

...if Kubiak goes out and lays a GIANT EGG in the first few games...(I KNOW! I KNOW...it's Unconscionable to think such things) that he will have a reasonable backup plan to fire Kubiak with the intention of promoting Phillips as HC. ...

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Then he'd be 1 year behind what Jerrah just did. Wonder if Bob has it already setup who he'll "interview" for the Rooney rule before making his interm coach the HC the following day?

infantrycak said:

Nothing but speculation by some fans disappointed with the decision to keep Kubiak.

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I agree that it's just speculation. I don't doubt for a moment that McNair is 100% behind Gary and that "possible replacement for Gary Kubiak" never entered his mind during the run up to hiring Wade.

I also believe that once Gary is fired Wade will be the only logical on-staff coach to follow him. If Gary manages to get himself fired during the season then Wade Phillips is without any doubt our first-ever interim head coach. I'm sure he'll interview for the position when it becomes available.

What Bob does then I can't predict but if history is any indicator it will be well intentioned and entirely wrong.

there is no doubt that if Kubes fails (knocks on wood) that Wade will be our HC

its the Streamline and flow that BOB has always wanted to keep

I think that this is likely an option that was considered. Unlike others though, I dont see how it reflects poorly on McNair.

Kubiak has done alot of positive things for this franchise.. unfortunately he hasnt done enough. Our offense is superb but our defense has been a cosntant weakness.

So instead of firing kubiak and starting from scratch, McNair got Kubiak the best DC on the market.. A move that I really like since before now Kubiak has seemed to have a lot more say in who the DC is.... so now McNair has a real DC for Kubiak and if Kubiak doesnt manage to bring it together this time, he can be fired and replaced without having to go into the huge rebuilding mode.


I dont think im expressing my opinion on this very well. Basically.. I think it was a smart move that helps us get to where we need to be. I think McNair is also giving us a safety net to avoid a total "reset" of the team, and 4 more years of rebuilding. Plus I think that Kubiak could still be a good coach for us.. he may just need better people around him.

I go back and forth on this and have two different thoughts.

1) Kubiak is our coach for life. Yes I'm serious. I don't think there is much Kubiak can do to get canned. Ever.

2) Kubiak will be fired by early November and replaced by Wade.

Those are my two thoughts that I go back and forth on.

OzzO said:

Then he'd be 1 year behind what Jerrah just did. Wonder if Bob has it already setup who he'll "interview" for the Rooney rule before making his interm coach the HC the following day?

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Frank Bush probably.