Broncos general manager John Elway had an inkling Gary Kubiak had the right stuff to be an NFL head coach ever since Elway and Kubiak were Broncos teammates from 1983-91. Tuesday, Kubiak was formally introduced as the Broncos’ new head coach.
A look at Kubiak’s career coaching path:
• 1992-93: After retiring from the NFL following the 1991 season, Kubiak coached running backs at his alma mater, Texas A&M. During Kubiak’s two seasons, the Aggies posted a 22-3 record and played in back-to-back Cotton Bowls.
• 1994: Kubiak made his NFL coaching debut as quarterbacks coach with the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers won the Super Bowl and led the NFL with a club-record 505 points (31.6 points per game). QB Steve Young was named MVP of Super Bowl XXIX.
• 1995-2002: Hired in 1995 by new Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan, Kubiak was the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for eight seasons. From 1995-98, Elway ranked second in the NFL in touchdown passes (101) and fourth in passing yards (13,739). Kubiak also helped develop Terrell Davis into one of the NFL’s best running backs. In 1998, Davis rushed for a career-high 2,008 yards and 21 touchdowns to earn NFL MNP honors. Kubiak was an instrumental part of Denver’s Super Bowl championship teams in 1997 and ’98.
• 2003-05: As the Broncos’ offensive coordinator, Kubiak helped quarterback Jake Plummer blossom. Plummer turned in the franchise’s first 4,000-yard passing season in 2004 and led Denver to a 13-3 record and an appearance in the AFC championship game in 2005.
• 2006-13: Kubiak spent eight years as the Houston Texans’ head coach, leading the franchise to a 61-64 (.488) regular-season record and a 2-2 mark in the playoffs.
• 2011: Kubiak was named AFC coach of the year by the KC 101 Club after guiding the Texans to a 10-6 record and the franchise’s first AFC South division title. The Texans beat Cincinnati 31-10 in the wild-card playoff game before losing to Baltimore, 20-13, in the divisional round.
• 2012: Led the Texans to a franchise-best 12-4 record and a second consecutive AFC South title with a team featuring nine Pro Bowl players. Houston beat Cincinnati 19-13 in the wild-card round before losing 41-28 to New England in the divisional round.
• 2013: The Texans entered the season with Super Bowl expectations, but finished 2-14, losing 14 consecutive games to end the season. On Nov. 3, Kubiak suffered a mini-stroke on the sideline during a game and missed two games before returning. Kubiak was fired after a Week 13 loss to Jacksonville and was replaced by defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.
• 2014: Served as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator and helped turn around the Ravens’ offense. Quarterback Joe Flacco recorded career highs in passing yards (3,986) and touchdown passes (27), while running back Justin Forsett ranked fifth in the league in rushing (1,266 yards) to earn his first career Pro Bowl selection.
• Jan. 19, 2015: Announced as the 15th head coach in Broncos history.
Coaching experience
2015 Broncos head coach
2014 Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator 2014
2006-2013 Houston Texans head coach
2003-05 Broncos offensive coordinator
1995-2002 Broncos offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
1994 San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks coach
1992-93 Texas A&M running backs coach
