Head coach Gary Kubiak
(on promoting Frank Bush to defensive coordinator) “I’m excited for (defensive coordinator) Frank (Bush), number one. I think he was ready for this opportunity a few years ago. But it’s time now. He’s worked extremely hard. Our players are excited; our coaches are excited. So, it’s time to get to work. I’m kind of glad that we got it done and I’m ready to move forward.”
(on why defensive coordinator Frank Bush is the right guy) “Well, doing my homework, studying the guys that are out there, trying to go through things with (owner) Bob (McNair) and with (general manager) Rick (Smith), all my homework kept coming right back to Frank. I just think we’ve got something started here. We don’t want to venture away from our 4-3 scheme and what we’re doing. I love Frank’s ideas and identity and what he sees us being as a football team, a defensive football team. I know he’s a great teacher and a great motivator and a fit right away with the coaches here. So, I think we’re heading in the right direction and Frank keeps us heading in that direction.”
(on how long of a process it was) “It’s kind of been going on for the last couple of weeks, since we got finished. I talked to various coaches and studied the people that are out there available and what’s going out around the league. But at the same time, you have to look out for your staff and what’s happening right here in your building. So, just kind of putting all of those things together kept leading right back to (defensive coordinator) Frank (Bush) and really a credit to (owner) Bob (McNair) for us to put it together here today.”
(on interviewing Chiefs defensive backs coach David Gibbs for the vacant coaching position) “I had David in here yesterday and this morning. He went back to Kansas City. We had a very good visit. He’s going to make a decision here probably over the course of the next 48 hours. He went back to visit with his family so we’ll see. It was very positive. We’ll see what happens.”
(on if he has offered David Gibbs the job) “We’re just talking right now.”
(on where he is at with looking for a new defensive line coach) “You know, I’m still kind of bouncing around. I had a couple of guys I was very interested in early. I had (former Lion’s head coach) Rod (Marinelli) come down and spend a day with me. Ya’ll know how much I think of him. He went to Chicago. I’m talking to another coach right now. I try not to get too many at one time. I’m trying one at a time to see who’s the best fit for the Houston Texans. It could take awhile. It could happen in the next day or so. I’ll keep you up to date.”
(on if defensive coordinator Frank Bush will have a big input on who is hired for the defensive line coach) “Oh, yeah. No doubt. He has a big input on it, all the coaches have. It’s been that way since we got going here. So, I want what’s best for (defensive coordinator) Frank (Bush) and he’s got to be the most comfortable guy with those decisions we make.”
(on what he likes about Kansas City defensive backs coach David Gibbs) “Well, I’ve known David for a while. Obviously, he’s been a coordinator at University of Auburn, University of Minnesota. He’s called a lot of defense in his day. He’s been a secondary coach in the National Football League. I like where he comes from and what he stands for - of course, knowing his dad all of these years and working with him. So, I think he’d be a good fit for us, but it’s up for David to figure that out now.”
(on if he is concerned about defensive coordinator Frank Bush not having experience calling defenses) “About not having called defenses? I really don’t. I think this league is about opportunity. All you have to do is just look around this league at some of the so-called hot coordinators that are getting head coaching opportunities right now. Those guys got started somewhere, and this is Frank’s start. So he’s been around enough good football; he’s surrounded by very good people. I don’t have any doubt in my mind that he’ll call things extremely well and be very successful doing it.”
(on how much did it help to know defensive coordinator Frank Bush before hiring him) “It obviously helps. You all know when I first came here that I had a big interest in bringing Frank here with me. So I know Frank from a playing standpoint, from a coaching standpoint. The thing that really intrigues me about Frank is that he’s come up through the ranks and done a lot of things in the business from scouting to special teams to linebackers to defensive line. Frank’s been very successful in a lot of different areas and I don’t have any doubt he’ll be very successful at this one, also.”
(on if he was surprised that he couldn’t interview Redskins assistant Jerry Grey) “Was I surprised? No, that’s part of the league right now. When you send in the paper work wanting to talk to various coaches whether you get a yay or nay, you don’t have much control over that. So, that doesn’t surprise me.”
(on how important to this decision was the fact that defensive coordinator Frank Bush is a great communicator and communicates well with the players) “Well, that was part of the process, watching Frank communicate with our players, getting feedback from our players over the course of the last two weeks and what they think of him and what he could bring to our football team in that room added a lot to it. So, I know the players are very excited about the direction we’re heading and that’s the way it should be. We’ve got our responsibility to them first. We’ve got some good young players and we’ve just got to keep moving forward, and I know Frank will get them going in that direction.”
(on if he promised defensive coordinator Frank Bush the first round pick) “No, I didn’t promise him anything (laughs).”
Defensive coordinator Frank Bush
(opening statement) “First of all, I’d like to start off saying thanks to (Texans owner) Mr. (Bob) McNair. They believe in me and what I’m capable of getting done here and they’ve given me a great opportunity. I just want to take this opportunity to say thanks to him, and I really appreciate the opportunity.”
(on how the style of defense is going to be different from what they’ve been playing) “Well, you know what’s going to happen, we’re going to just start to make sure we’ve got all of these kids running around and doing things on the same page. We’re going to be aggressive. We’ll be attacking, but more than anything, we’re going to be a team that communicates. All of our guys are going to be on the same page; everybody is doing the exact same job at the exact same time, and you’ll see more passion in our play. You’ll see guys that fly around and try to get turnovers.”
(on LB DeMeco Ryans saying that he can motivate people with his passion and he grabs attention of the players and what that means to him) “It means a lot. First of all, thanks to DeMeco. I appreciate the compliment, but it means a lot to me because one thing that I like to think I can do with these kids is I can motivate them, I can move them. You try to appeal to them. You want to appeal to something inside or something deeper, their desire to be big, to be great, and that’s what I always try to do. All of these kids have a burning desire to be good. Every one of these kids, they want to see themselves playing in the postseason. They want to see themselves on the big stage. And so you try to appeal to that desire within every kid and try to get them motivated to move in that direction.”
(on him paying his dues and if this opportunity has hit him yet) “Not quite yet. It’s a dream come true. It’s a situation that I really wanted, and then to consider that I cut my teeth right here in Houston with the Houston Oilers and had an opportunity to play with that organization and scout and coach in that organization and now to be back in Houston with this opportunity in front of me, it’s absolutely huge. I’m looking forward to the opportunity, but it is huge. I’m really excited about it.”
(on why the defense has finished ranked in the 20s the last three years) “There are several, several factors involved in that. To pinpoint one particular thing, it would be hard to do just standing here, but we haven’t kind of held our end of the deal as of late. Offensively, those guys are moving in a forward direction, and I’m here to just try to get the defense to move at the same pace as the offense is moving. Our guys are clearly ready to take off and go in that direction, and that’s up to me to kind of motivate them and get them going in that direction.”
(on what the identity will be with him as the defensive coordinator) “When you speak about identity, that’s developed; that’s developed over time. It’s going to take us a little while to get going, to get our feet on the grass outside and get going, but what you will see early, early and often, is a group that’s attacking, a group that’s aggressive, they’re passionate. You’ll see guys flying around and you’ll see guys having a good time playing the game of football.”
(on playing and coaching under a lot of coordinators and where he got his style of play from) “Several guys. I’ve got a huge, huge quote-unquote circle of influence. There are a lot of guys that kind of influenced the way I kind of see what I’ll be doing. (Former Oilers head coach) Buddy Ryan is a guy, I don’t know if everybody in this room is old enough to remember Buddy Ryan, but some of the things he did back in the day when I was a part of his staff, those guys were aggressive. They got after people. They knocked people down. They were a little bit nasty, and all of the above. I like the way he did things. I’ve got to give credit to (former Denver Broncos defensive coordinator) Greg Robinson in Denver because we put together two Super Bowl teams there, and the things that we did as a defensive staff there, a lot of those things are very, very prominent in my mind. But there are several other guys that have really helped me along the way, helped me kind of create my own particular style as to what I want to get done here.”
(on if his first defensive coordinator influenced him) “My first defensive coordinator, (former Oilers head coach) Jerry (Glanville)? Of course, of course. When you talk about flying around and being passionate about what you do, that comes directly from Jerry. I would say there’s probably not a better motivator than Jerry. He was a guy that really got us ready to go play every Sunday.”
(on how the defensive line will be used differently) “You know, we’re going to kind of assess that as we go. But I can tell you this, they will be more attacking, more get up the field and attack off the line of scrimmage. We won’t go sideways. That’s a coaching term, but we won’t go sideways. What we will do is attack and get off the ball and give our kids an opportunity to be aggressive at the start of the play.”
(on if he feels like he has the right players on defense right now) “You know, we have a lot of good guys in place. (General manager) Rick Smith and those guys have done an excellent job of putting players in the building to give us an opportunity to be successful. But there’s always room for improvement. During that stretch (5-1 to end of the season), what we had is a bunch of guys that were kind of connected. These guys were moving forward together. They were playing with a little bit of passion. They had a sense of urgency, and so we want to kind of grab that moment and move forward from this point and try to create that for the rest of the season.”
(on if he has told general manager Rick Smith or head coach Gary Kubiak his dream pick for the 2009 NFL Draft) “I didn’t tell them about my dream pick yet. Quite frankly, it’s kind of a lot to get your hands around right now. I’m just very happy with the opportunity. I’m sure we’re going to assess the draft and all of those things that go along with that, personnel and all of those things. But there are some things that I have in mind. I have been here for a couple of years, so there are some things I have in mind, and I’m sure we’ll have the opportunity to sit down and talk about it.”
(on what he will do to force more turnovers) “Well, I think the first thing you do is you simplify so you get faster. That’s one of the things we’re going to focus on. We’re going to simplify so our guys can play faster. The faster we play, the more times we get big hits. The more big hits we get, the more times that ball will come out, and that’s what we’re going to try to do. We want guys to attack, and I keep using that word, but that’s what we want. We want guys to attack and be violent and create turnovers in that way.”
(on where being named defensive coordinator stacks up among all of his moments) “Besides getting married – I have to say that; you guys know that – but this is way up there. This is the ultimate moment for me. It’s way up there. It’s something I’ve dreamed about. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s something that as you start your career in coaching or whatever you do, you always aspire to move toward the top of what you’re doing. This is another step in that direction, and I’m just really, really excited about the opportunity. It’s a huge moment for me and for my family, and I’m just thankful for the opportunity.”
(on if taking over an 8-8 team expected to make the playoffs next year puts more pressure on him) “Yeah, because just like anything else, it’s a brand new opportunity. It’s a brand new situation. I don’t remember the last time I had a press conference like this. So obviously, it’s different. But there is pressure. There is pressure. It’s part of the package, but we do aspire to do great things with this organization, and it’s just part of the deal. It’s part of how we want to go about doing our thing. So it’s pressure, but it’s welcome. We want to put ourselves out front. We want to go out and grab that Lombardi Trophy.”
(on his experience calling defenses) “You know, I haven’t called a defense per se. But you know, I spent three years on the sideline as a special teams coach and called every situation. I was the assistant head coach in Arizona and helped call that defense back then. This is going to be new. This is going to be me with the onus squarely on me. But at the same time, I feel like over the years, I’ve prepared myself for this opportunity.”
