Gary Kubiak

Gary Wayne Kubiak (born August 15, 1961) is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL).

Kubiak graduated from St. Pius X in 1979.

Kubiak attended Texas A&M University under coaches Tom Wilson and Jackie Sherrill and was selected to the All-Southwest Conference team in 1982 after leading the conference in passing yards (1,948) and touchdowns (19).

As a junior, he set a conference record by throwing six touchdown passes against Rice.

In four seasons at Texas A&M, he passed for 4,078 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions.

He was selected in the eighth round of the 1983 NFL Draft with the 197th overall pick by Denver, where he played from 1983 to 1991 as the backup to John Elway.

Earlier in his coaching career, Kubiak served as an assistant coach for the Broncos, Texas A&M University and San Francisco 49ers.

Kubiak was selected in the eighth round with the 197th overall pick of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos, the same year quarterback John Elway was drafted with the first overall pick by the Baltimore Colts before forcing a trade to Denver.

Kubiak played his entire career for the Broncos as a backup for Elway, a Hall of Famer.

In nine seasons, Kubiak appeared in 119 regular-season games and went 3–2 as a starter.

He completed 173-of-298 passes (58.1%) while throwing for 14 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and 1,920 yards while part of three AFC Championship teams.

Kubiak replaced Elway at the end of the Broncos' defeats in Super Bowl XXI and Super Bowl XXIV.

Kubiak began his coaching career at Texas A&M, his alma mater, serving as the running backs coach for two seasons (1992–1993).

He worked extensively with All-American running back Greg Hill, who was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft.

Kubiak won his first Super Bowl serving as the quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers in 1994, guiding Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young to one of his best seasons.

Young received his second NFL MVP and captured Super Bowl XXIX MVP honors by throwing a Super Bowl-record six touchdowns in San Francisco's 49–26 win over the San Diego Chargers.

Kubiak went to the Broncos the following season when Mike Shanahan, who was previously the 49ers offensive coordinator, became Denver's head coach.

In 11 seasons (1995–2005) as the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Kubiak helped lead Denver to two Super Bowl titles (1997, 1998), which were also the final two seasons of John Elway's playing career.

In Kubiak's 11 seasons with the team, the Broncos amassed 66,501 total yards and 465 touchdowns, the most in the NFL during that span.

He coached 14 different Pro Bowl Broncos, including running back Terrell Davis, who was named the NFL MVP in 1998.

Twice named to the all-state football, basketball, baseball, and track teams, he was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

Kubiak was named the second head coach in Houston Texans history on January 26, 2006, replacing the fired Dom Capers.

In his first season with the team, Houston finished fourth in the AFC South with a 6–10 record.

The Texans ended the 2007 season at 8–8, a non-losing record for the first time in team history.

The Texans had their second non-losing season, again finishing 8–8, in the 2008 season.

The following season under Kubiak, the Texans achieved their first winning season in franchise history when they overcame a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the New England Patriots 34–27 at Reliant Stadium, finishing the 2009 season 9–7.

They missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker with the New York Jets.

On February 2, 2010, with a year left on the original deal he signed, the Texans signed Kubiak to a three-year contract extension through 2012.

In the 2010 season, Houston started off strong with a record of 4–2 heading into their bye week (Week 7).

However, Kubiak's promising campaign quickly turned disastrous as the Texans lost eight of their final 10 games, placing them third in the AFC South, with a record of 6–10.

The Texans ended up fourth in passing yards, seventh in rushing yards, and third in overall yards.

But the 2010 Texans defense was arguably one of the worst in the league, finishing last in passing yards allowed and tied for last in passing touchdowns allowed.

The Texans responded to the 2010 poor defensive showing by firing defensive coordinator Frank Bush, secondary coach David Gibbs, linebackers coach Johnny Holland, and assistant linebackers coach Robert Saleh.

Kubiak, a ball boy for beloved former Houston Oilers head coach O.A. "Bum" Phillips in the 1970s, hired long-time friend, and Bum's son, Wade Phillips to take over as the Texans' new defensive coordinator on January 5, 2011.

He was also the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens in 2014.

He played as a quarterback for the Denver Broncos before coaching, serving as head coach for the Houston Texans from 2006 to 2013 and the Broncos from 2015 to 2016 before stepping down from the position on January 1, 2017, citing health reasons.

Kubiak played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies.

He last served as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings in 2020.

Kubiak has participated in seven Super Bowls, losing three as a player with the Broncos, winning three as an assistant coach with the 49ers and the Broncos, and winning Super Bowl 50 as the head coach of the Broncos.

Kubiak passed for a then state-record 6,190 yards as a quarterback for St. Pius X High School of Houston, Texas, where he was given the nickname "Koob".