Untitled - Home Page - Houston Texans
Untitled - Home Page - Houston Texans
Untitled - Home Page - Houston Texans
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Te XAN S<br />
Gary Kubiak<br />
Head Coach<br />
15th NFL Season • 3rd with <strong>Texans</strong><br />
Gary Kubiak returned to his hometown of <strong>Houston</strong><br />
on January 26, 2006, becoming the second head<br />
coach in the history of the <strong>Houston</strong> <strong>Texans</strong>.<br />
In just two seasons as a head coach, Kubiak has<br />
led the <strong>Texans</strong> to places the franchise had never<br />
been before. In his rookie season, he tripled<br />
the team’s win total of the previous year, guiding<br />
the club to a 6-10 record. The six victories<br />
included wins in three of the last five games of<br />
the season and the franchise’s first ever win over<br />
Indianapolis. Six wins were the second-most in<br />
franchise history. All six wins came versus AFC<br />
opponents, giving the <strong>Texans</strong> their most wins<br />
over conference foes in team annals. Entering<br />
his third season at the helm, Kubiak is a mere five<br />
wins away from becoming the <strong>Texans</strong>’ all-time<br />
winningest head coach.<br />
Year two for Kubiak saw the team achieve the<br />
best record in franchise history, finishing 8-8.<br />
The <strong>Texans</strong> won three of their last four and<br />
five of their last seven to finish the season at<br />
.500. Closing the season strong has become a<br />
hallmark of Kubiak’s teams. In two seasons in<br />
<strong>Houston</strong>, the <strong>Texans</strong> are a combined 6-4 in the<br />
month of December. Another point of emphasis<br />
under Kubiak has been developing a true home<br />
field advantage, and the team is well on its way<br />
to accomplishing that mission. After going 4-4<br />
at Reliant Stadium in 2006, which was the best<br />
home mark at the time, Kubiak’s troops posted a<br />
6-2 mark at home last year. 10 of <strong>Houston</strong>’s 20<br />
all-time home victories have come in the last two<br />
seasons under Kubiak.<br />
Kubiak came to <strong>Houston</strong> with the reputation of<br />
being an offensive mastermind and he has lived<br />
up to that billing in his first two years with the<br />
team. In 32 games under Kubiak, <strong>Houston</strong> has<br />
averaged 306.3 yards per game compared to an<br />
average 266.5 yards per game from 2002-05. The<br />
scoring average under Kubiak has also risen four<br />
points versus prior to his arrival.<br />
The most dramatic improvement has been made<br />
by the offensive line. After giving up a leagueworst<br />
68 sacks in 2005, the line dropped the sack<br />
total to 43 in Kubiak’s first season, then cut that<br />
number in half in 2007, to a record-low 22. This<br />
allowed the passing game to flourish, averaging<br />
nearly 40 yards per game better than in the<br />
franchise’s first four years. The line also allowed<br />
the <strong>Texans</strong> rushing attack to average 102.3 yards<br />
per game over the last two years.<br />
Kubiak has made a habit of surrounding himself<br />
with great coaches throughout his tenure in<br />
<strong>Houston</strong>. One of his first hires in 2006 was former<br />
Green Bay head coach Mike Sherman, who<br />
served as the assistant head coach/offense and<br />
then offensive coordinator in Kubiak’s first two<br />
seasons. This offseason, Kubiak bolstered his<br />
staff with two of the brightest minds in football,<br />
hiring venerable offensive line guru Alex Gibbs<br />
as the assistant head coach/offense and 1995<br />
NFL Coach of the Year Ray Rhodes as the assistant<br />
defensive backs coach.<br />
As head coach, Kubiak has also been responsible<br />
for the performance of the defense. Under<br />
the guidance of defensive coordinator Richard<br />
Smith, the unit has shown improvement over<br />
the last two seasons. Stocked with young talent<br />
such as the All-Pro combo of linebacker DeMeco<br />
Ryans and defensive end Mario Williams, the<br />
defense is poised to become one of the league’s<br />
best after setting a franchise record for fewest<br />
rushing yards allowed last season.<br />
Williams and Ryans were the first two draft picks<br />
of the Kubiak era, and they set the tone for what<br />
is quickly becoming an excellent track record on<br />
draft day. Along with Ryans and Williams, right<br />
tackle Eric Winston and tight end Owen Daniels<br />
have emerged as starters from the 2006 draft<br />
class. The <strong>Texans</strong>’ 2007 draft class was led by<br />
defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, the youngest firstround<br />
draft pick in NFL history, and cornerback<br />
Fred Bennett, who led the team in interceptions<br />
as a rookie.<br />
Kubiak spent 20 of the previous 23 years in the<br />
Denver area, where he earned a reputation as a<br />
brilliant offensive mastermind. He played for the<br />
Broncos from 1983-91 as the backup for Hall of<br />
Fame quarterback John Elway. Kubiak played<br />
in 119 games during his career and tossed 14<br />
touchdowns in that span. During his time as<br />
a player in the Mile High City, he was a part of<br />
coaches<br />
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