Running "Half the coaches in the league are all but fired" commentary

Kubiak homecoming looks to be a matter of when
Denver assistant wows Texans brass during interview


By JOHN MCCLAIN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak impressed the Texans so much in his interview at Denver last week that he has become the heavy favorite to replace Dom Capers.

Give me any time a candidate like Kubiak, who prepared hard for his interview because he wants to return home to coach the Texans, over Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, who has played a cat-and-mouse game with them.

Kubiak is the headline now; Ferentz should be yesterday's news.

We will be stunned if Kubiak is not the Texans' next head coach. They still have interviews to conduct, and Buffalo offensive coordinator Jerry Gray has impressed them, too.

Could it get any better than Kubiak as the head coach, Gray as the assistant head coach/defensive coordinator and Vince Young as the backup quarterback behind David Carr for one season?

Another deck would have to be added to Reliant Stadium to satisfy ticket demands.

No NFL coach can formally accept a job while his team is still in the playoffs. The Broncos had a first-round bye and hostea divisional game on Saturday.

But that doesn't mean the Texans can't do what Cleveland did last year. The Browns interviewed New England defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel. Everyone knew he was going to be the coach after the Super Bowl, but nothing could become official until the Patriots were done.

Kubiak's interview Friday went so much better than his interview in 2001. Previous interviews with the Texans, Browns and Saints didn't go well enough for him to be offered a head-coaching job.

Friday was different. The Texans' search committee, head by owner Bob McNair,left Denver impressed with Kubiak's knowledge of the organization and roster and, most important, his desire to be a head coach for his hometown team.


Kubiak's excited
Gary Kubiak made it clear to owner Bob McNair that he wants to be the Texans' second head coach.

"It's very exciting because I think there are some great things that are going to happen with the franchise," Kubiak said after the interview. "I just get excited when I get a chance to sit around with the people I know are in charge.

"I know Houston's going to have a winner, and for them to want to talk to me, personally, about possibly giving me an opportunity to come down there and be a part of that is just very special."


Looking back
The Broncos came to Houston for three days during training camp, but Gary Kubiak says he did not foresee the kind of season the Texans would have.

"We had a great three days against them," he said. "We worked against them and knew they were a very talented team.

"One thing about doing business in this league is you can do everything right, and there's still such a fine line between winning and losing.

"This is a tough league. You start to get some nicks here and there, lose some guys, and they play in a tremendously tough division with Indianapolis and Jacksonville. And if it gets going the wrong way, it's hard to pull out of it, so to speak.

"I think it could go in the right direction, also. They're going to do everything right, and that's all you can ask for."


Capers in demand
Friends of former Texans coach Dom Capers said he has received five offers to run defenses from NFL teams, including one from Miami. The Dolphins play a 3-4 scheme.

However, with so many job openings in the league, Capers is hoping to get another chance to be a head coach.

 

Ted Cottrell fired in Minnesota.
Reports of Capers in Miami and Kubiak being hired in Houston aren't true at this point. Al Saunders has a 2nd interview in Houston scheduled.

 

Texans interview any black coaches?

 

Did they change the rules or something? How can an assistant for a playoff team interview for a new position before his current team is out of the playoffs?

 

i think they did give them a week before the playoffs started, or made some kind of allowance.

 

Yes. They can only interview him once, in his city, and his team has to agree. They cant hire him before the team is done.

 

OK, thanks y'all.

 

I always like Kubiak as a player. He was solid behind Elway for all those years. I hope he has some success down there. I bet Reggie Bush is glad to hear they hired a guy from Denver.

Dom just needs to be a DC. He is a good DC but he is not a good HC.

 

Packers to hire Mcarthy?

What is up with that? I have not heard much about him.

 

was the saints' oc a year ago. offense was too complicated for brooks , had to dumb it down for him and we all know how that went.

look for the packers to have a wide open offense (if the players can handle the schemes)