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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 />

21

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