Gary Kubiak - Pro Football Rumors

Coach/GM Notes: Gase, 49ers, Eagles

January 19th, 2015 at 6:47pm CST by Ben Levine

Following his nine seasons as John Elway‘s backup, Gary Kubiak bounced around a bit when he entered the coaching profession. He started as the running backs coach at Texas A&M before spending a year with the 49ers as the quarterbacks coach. Kubiak then spent more than ten seasons with the Broncos before he was hired as the Texans head coach. Last season, the 53-year-old was the Ravens offensive coordinator.

As a result, Kubiak is hoping to have a lengthy tenure in Denver (via Mike Klis of The Denver Post):

“I’m excited. I’m looking forward to the work. It’s great to be home again.

“Hopefully it works out so this is the last coaching job I have in my career.”

Here are some more assorted coach and front office notes from around the league:

Coaching:

Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase will interview with the Ravens this evening, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Ironically, Gase’s meeting would be for the position previously held by the current Broncos head coach.
The 49ers have requested permission to interview Colts special assistant Rob Chudzinski to become the team’s offensive coordinator, tweets Rapoport. We learned earlier today that the Bears had also requested permission.
The Eagles have hired former Broncos defensive backs coach Cory Undlin for the same role, the team announced. The team also promoted assistant Justin Peelle to tight ends coach.
Meanwhile, former Eagles defensive backs coach John Lovett and former tight ends coach Ted Williams will stay with the organization in the pro scouting department, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (via Twitter).

Front office:

The Buccaneers have denied the Eagles the opportunity to interview director of player personnel Jon Robinson for the open general manager vacancy, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. While the Philadelphia job may have the GM title, Chip Kelly will have final say over roster and personnel decisions, so it wouldn’t necessarily be a promotion for an exec who already holds a director of player personnel title.
The Eagles will have an opportunity to interview candidates from the front offices of both the Patriots and Seahawks this week, reports Jeff McClain of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). However, the team will still need organizational permission to reach out to candidates.

Rob DiRe contributed to this post.

Broncos Hire Gary Kubiak As Head Coach

January 19th, 2015 at 9:53am CST by Rob DiRe

MONDAY, 9:53am: The Broncos have officially announced that they have agreed to terms with Kubiak, according to the team’s official Twitter account. Kubiak will become the 15th head coach in team history.

SUNDAY, 8:17pm: The Broncos have seemingly concluded their head coaching search, as they are currently in the process of negotiating a four-year contract with Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak to coach the team, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post.

Kubiak is expected to be introduced as early as Tuesday, according to Klis. He is likely to bring Ravens quarterbacks coach Rick Dennison along with him to serve as his offensive coordinator, reports Albert Breer of NFL.com (via Twitter). Kubiak could also bring tight ends coach Brian Pariani, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com doesn’t believe that it is a lock for either Dennison or Pariani to head to Denver, and writes that either one could be a candidate to take over as the Ravens offensive coordinator (via Twitter). Former Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase could also be an option in Baltimore, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Breer also notes that Kubiak figures to target Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph (via Twitter).

Before the Broncos job opened up, Kubiak announced that he was not interested in pursuing head coaching opportunities, electing instead to remain with the Ravens as the offensive coordinator. However, things changed when the Broncos and John Fox parted ways, prompting Kubiak to change his mind and make himself available to interview in Denver.

Kubiak has a long history with the Broncos, playing for the team for nine seasons as a backup to Hall of Fame quarterback and current general manager of the Broncos John Elway, and losing three Super Bowls as a player. He returned to Denver as a quarterbacks coach for the 49ers, where he won his first Super Bowl as a coach. Kubiak later became the offensive coordinator for the Broncos under head coach Mike Shanahan, coaching Elway to two Super Bowl victories.

As Kubiak became a clear frontrunner for the job, it was reported that he would accept the position should the Broncos offer it to him.

The Ravens have now lost their offensive coordinator in Kubiak, who lead the team to a record-setting year for the franchise. The team will now look to hire its fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons, writes Zrebiec (via Twitter).

This also further complicates the issue of whether or not Peyton Manning will return to the Broncos in 2015. Kubiak is a widely regarded offensive mind, and three years ago when Manning was a free agent he was reportedly interested in teaming up with Kubiak and signing with the Texans. The rumor is that Kubiak did not pursue the idea of signing Manning, instead preferring to continue working with Matt Schaub, writes Pro Football Talk (via Twitter).

Kubiak’s attitude towards coaching Manning would likely had to have changed if the team plans on bringing Manning back. Otherwise, Kubiak will be starting from scratch at the quarterback position, possibly with former second-round pick Brock Osweiler.

West Notes: Manning, Trestman, Lynch

January 18th, 2015 at 10:18am CST by Rory Parks

We heard earlier this morning that current Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak will accept the Broncos‘ head coaching job if and when it is offered to him, and there are a number of items related to the Broncos’ head coaching search to pass on, along with several notes from other clubs in the league’s west divisions. Let’s take a look:

Citing colleague Ian Rapoport, NFL.com’s Conor Orr writes that Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is still undecided about his future, and even though many believe his return to Denver is a foregone conclusion, Rapoport wonders if Denver’s recent activity has laid the foundation for the team to hit the reset button. After all, as Orr writes, “John Elway was concerned about the team’s toughness after a loss to St. Louis earlier in the season and wondered if his team had gotten as good as they possibly could with the current staff and roster.” Manning still has a month to make up his mind before taking a physical that will lock in his $19MM salary for next year.
Benjamin Hochman and Mike Klis of the Denver Post wonder if the Broncos would be better off if Manning were to hang up the spikes right now (spoiler alert: the answer is “no”).
Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com asked former Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer how Kubiak and Manning will overcome the conflicts between Manning’s abilities and Kubiak’s style of play-calling, and Plummer describes how the two men could make it work.
Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com looks at a few standouts from yesterday’s East-West Shrine Classic that could be of interest to the Chargers.
Citing Rapoport, Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes that the Raiders, as expected, will interview Marc Trestman for their offensive coordinator vacancy within the next several days.
Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times believes the Seahawks should retain Marshawn Lynch for at least one more season.
Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes that former Youngstown State head coach Eric Wolford is set to become the 49ers‘ assistant offensive line coach.

Gary Kubiak To Accept Broncos Job If Offered

January 18th, 2015 at 9:19am CST by Rory Parks

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak will take the Broncos‘ head coaching job if it is offered to him, and all signs points towards GM John Elway making that offer. Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes that Elway and Kubiak will spend this Sunday together watching the AFC and NFC Championship Games, and although there are some concerns with how Kubiak’s schemes will mesh with Peyton Manning‘s abilities–Kubiak’s passing game is largely predicated on play-action bootleg passes, which is not a great fit for the increasingly immobile Manning–Kubiak has been Elway’s top target for a long time.

As NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets, other candidates for Denver’s top job who met with Elway were so convinced that Kubiak was Elway’s preference that they withdrew their names from consideration, and CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets that Kubiak’s move to Denver has been a foregone conclusion for several days now. Klis adds in his piece that a formal announcement will be made by Tuesday.

Teryl Austin Narrows Choices to Falcons, Lions

January 17th, 2015 at 4:01pm CST by Rob DiRe

Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has been one of the top options for a number of head coaching opportunities, but with the Bills, Jets, Bears, and 49ers already filling their vacancies, it seems to be Falcons or bust for Austin, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

There is serious interest from the Falcons, as they have likely narrowed their own options down to Austin and Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, although our own Luke Adams writes that there might be one other candidate still in the mix. The team is expected to interview Quinn once more after the NFC Championship game next week.

Austin decided to remove himself from consideration for the Broncos’ opening as it became more clear that Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak is the number one option in Denver. Doug Marrone followed Austin’s lead, canceling his interview with the Broncos as well.

With the Falcons his last hope for a head coaching job this offseason, Austin is prepared to return to the Lions as defensive coordinator should Atlanta decide to go in a different direction. 2014 was Austin’s first season as a defensive coordinator, and he led the charge for a team that was among the top defenses in the league, and one of the best at stopping the run in recent history.

Coach Updates: Spagnuolo, 49ers, Shanahan

January 17th, 2015 at 1:59pm CST by Rob DiRe

New Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has a huge task ahead of him, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. While Vacchiano believes that head coach Tom Coughlin made a great decision going into his past to hire his best defensive coordinator. The tough part is that Spagnuolo will have to match his past success without stars such as Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, and Osi Umenyiora.

There are a number of Giants players who could improve under Spagnuolo’s tutelage, writes Nick Powell of NJ.com. Howell picks out Johnathan Hankins, Antrel Rolle, Jason Pierre-Paul, Robert Ayers, and Jameel McClain as guys who may benefit.
The 49ers are looking for a new offensive coordinator after Greg Roman joined the Bills, and Colts offensive assistant Rob Chudzinski is well positioned to take over, writes Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
Other candidates for the offensive coordinator position with the 49ers include former head coaches Mike Shanahan and Lane Kiffin, reports Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. Shanhan was once thought of in the mix for head coaching jobs, and Kiffin would be coming from the University of Alabama.
49ers offensive assistant Ronald Curry will have an opportunity to stay with the team as the wide receivers coach, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). Curry has not been given permission by the team to interview for the Bills, where he could have rejoined offensive coordinator Roman (via Twitter).
Former Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan almost was hired in Baltimore a year ago, and if Gary Kubiak leaves the Ravens to take the Broncos head coaching job, the team could revisit Shanahan, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team is still impressed with his strong interview last year.

Coach Notes: Capers, Fangio, Bills, Kubiak

January 17th, 2015 at 12:23pm CST by Ben Levine

Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers is not planning on retiring anytime soon. The 64-year-old has had to work some overtime since he joined the organization in 2009, as the team’s made the playoffs in each of his six seasons. However, the former Panthers and Texans coach isn’t tiring.

“I would like to coach as long as I enjoy it and feel I have something to offer,” Capers told Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel. “If I didn’t feel I have something to offer I wouldn’t do it anymore.

“I’m enjoying it. My health’s excellent. You can talk to anybody here… who spends the most hours here? And I’d like to think (I have something to offer).”

Other coaching notes from the around the league:

Following reports that the Bears had requested permission to interview Vic Fangio, Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 in D.C. tweets that the team will indeed meet with the former 49ers defensive coordinator. Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee tweets that Fangio will then travel to meet with Washington this evening.
In the same tweet, Barrows notes that former 49ers defensive backs coach Ed Donatell will likely follow the coordinator wherever he goes.
Aaron Kromer has signed a two-year deal with the Bills to become the team’s offensive line coach, according to ESPN’s John Clayton (via ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak on Twitter). The former Bears offensive coordinator was fired in late December.
Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post says Gary Kubiak is the right choice for the Broncos head coaching opening. The writer believes the coach’s communication abilities will allow him to flourish with Peyton Manning. Reversely, if Manning decides to retire, the coach would also be the “perfect man” to groom a young, developing quarterback.

Ravens Notes: Rice, Shanahan, Kubiak, Hill

January 17th, 2015 at 9:42am CST by Ben Levine

The Ravens and Ray Rice reached a settlement yesterday regarding the running back’s grievance against the team. Team president Dick Cass released a statement regarding the situation, and he insisted that the organization was ready to move forward. Via Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun…

“The Ravens agreed to resolve the grievance with Ray Rice. It’s time to turn the page, and we’re moving forward. We will continue to focus on being the best partner we can be with our community, and that includes our work with the House of Ruth and One Love Foundation on the issue of intimate partner abuse. We wish Janay and Ray Rice the best.”

While details of the settlement haven’t been released, sources tell Wilson that the deal was “fair.”

Let’s check out some more notes out of Baltimore…

Following news that Kyle Shanahan could be a candidate for the Ravens offensive coordinator opening, Wilson writes that the coach was a finalist for the position last season (the job ultimately went to Gary Kubiak). Still, the former Browns coordinator made an impression on head coach John Harbaugh, possibly explaining the organization’s interest.
Offensive tackle Eric Winston played under Kubiak in Houston, and the current Bengals lineman believes the opportunity with the Broncos is likely the only gig the veteran coach would consider leaving Baltimore for. “It did seem like he was going to stay with the Ravens, but this is probably the only situation he was willing to look at this year,” Winston said (via Wilson and Jeff Zrebiec). “It’s a crazy league. You never know what’s going to happen. The coaches all understand it and we, as players, all understand it, but it doesn’t make it any easier.”
A third violation of the league’s drug policy resulted in Will Hill‘s release from the Giants last season. The safety had a bounce-back year in Baltimore, and his head coach is confident that the player’s issues are behind him. “We’re challenging him for the next three or four months,” Harbaugh said (via Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com). “Are you going to come back a better player than you were when you left here in January, and is that slate going to be clean? We fully expect it to be.”

Coach Rumors: Austin, Kubiak, Broncos

January 16th, 2015 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

Teryl Austin‘s decision to pull out of the Broncos‘ coaching search was as much about what seems to be happening in Denver as it was about his own situation, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, hinting that Gary Kubiak looks like the odds-on favorite for the Broncos job if he wants it.

Having said that, Birkett adds in a second tweet that Austin’s second interview with the Falcons on Thursday went very well. According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link), Atlanta has narrowed its list of targets to Austin, Dan Quinn, and perhaps one other candidate, with Quinn expected to get a second interview next week following the NFC championship game.

Here’s more on coaching openings around the league:

The Broncos‘ interview with Kubiak is scheduled to happen on Sunday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter, before Denver talks to Kubiak, the team will meet with Doug Marrone on Saturday.
If Kubiak leaves Baltimore to take the Broncos‘ head coaching job, the Ravens‘ contingency plan is to promote quarterbacks coach Rick Dennison to offensive coordinator, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. However, as Jeff Zrebiec of the Sun points out (via Twitter), Dennison would also be a strong candidate for OC in Denver under Kubiak.
Kyle Shanahan would be another offensive coordinator candidate for both the Broncos and Ravens in that scenario, per Wilson and Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 in Washington (Twitter links). Per Russini, Shanahan turned down the opportunity to interview for the 49ers‘ OC job.
Sources tell Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com that Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph would be a top candidate for defensive coordinator in Denver if the Broncos hire Kubiak.
New Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio was interested in bringing Buccaneers defensive line coach Joe Cullen with him to Oakland, but Tampa Bay denied the Raiders permission to interview him, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link).

Kubiak In, Austin Out For Broncos’ HC Search

January 16th, 2015 at 9:29am CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens officially announced last Sunday that offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak would remain in Baltimore for the 2015 season, turning down potential opportunities with the Bears and Jets. Since then, however, one more head coaching position has become available, and it appears Kubiak has some interest in it. According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), Kubiak will meet with the Broncos about their head coaching vacancy, with an interview expected to happen this weekend.

The Broncos are currently in a state of flux, with Peyton Manning still deciding whether or not he wants to continue his playing career, and Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, and Julius Thomas all eligible for free agency. Additionally, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has left to coach the division-rival Raiders, and offensive coordinator Adam Gase appears likely to land a job elsewhere.

Still, there’s a ton of talent on the roster and it’s an intriguing destination for Kubiak, who previously worked from the Broncos for about a decade, serving as the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. According to La Canfora (via Twitter), if Kubiak has interest in Denver’s head coaching job, he may instantly become the frontrunner for the position, since he’s “far and away” John Elway‘s top choice.

So far, the only candidate to formally interview for the Broncos’ head coaching interview is Gase. A meeting with Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin was on the schedule for today, but that interview is no longer happening, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Josina Anderson of ESPN (TwitLonger link) reports that Austin has withdrawn as a candidate in Denver’s search, which is interesting — it may suggest that the Lions DC is confident about his chances to land the head coaching job in Atlanta, as the Falcons appear to be narrowing down their search to Austin and Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

It’s worth mentioning that speaking to Austin would have allowed the Broncos to adhere to the Rooney Rule, so even if Denver meets with Kubiak this weekend and there’s mutual interest in moving forward, the club still must interview a minority candidate at some point.