In the wake of the team's first-ever playoff run and division title, the Houston Texans have extended the contracts of the team's key architects, head coach Gary Kubiak and general manager Rick Smith:
Texans gave Gary Kubiak and Rick smith extensions today.
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) June 14, 2012
The details of each extension, including the length and amount, are unknown at present time, but the Texans are expected to speak publicly Thursday afternoon after minicamp practice ends.
The move has been predicted for month, as owner Bob McNair acknowledged that a reworking of the deals was going on last month. Both Kubiak and Smith were entering the last year of their contracts with the team. Both have been with the franchise since 2006, and only five other NFL coaches have a longer tenure than Kubiak. As for a reaction, SB Nation Texans blog Battle Red Blog approves:
It took longer than any Texans fan would have liked, but Smith and Kubiak have built and developed a deep roster that has a Super Bowl window open for the Texans. In his six years as head coach, Kubiak has a 47-49 career record with a 1-1 playoff record. The record isn’t indicative of the job he did during last year’s division championship run which had him keeping a locker room together as injuries depleted their ranks.
For those who like making comparisons, Bill Belichck had a 41-55 record at this point in his career while also going 1-1 in the playoffs. In his seventh coaching season, Belichick led New England to a Super Bowl championship. I’m not saying, but I’m just saying.
For more on the Houston Texans, be sure to check out Battle Red Blog and SB Nation's NFL page.
