Gary Kubiak unassumingly would accept ‘One for the Thumb’ this season.
He already owns four Super Bowl championship rings.
In 32 previous years as an NFL player, assistant coach and head coach, Kubiak remarkably has experienced only five losing seasons while being with franchises that have advanced to nine conference title games and seven Super Bowls.
This postseason most likely will be Gary’s 20th.
Rather astonishing for a former Houston Oilers ball boy.
And there Kubiak was Sunday night being shown on national TV in the Vikings’ coaches box at the AT&T Stadium (home of the Cowboys).
Minnesota beat Dallas. After beginning the season 2-2, the Vikings have won five of six and are in position to finish first or second in the NFC North. With one of the most proficient offenses in the league, the Vikings are a viable candidate for Super Bowl LIV.
Kubiak has been a premium part of the Minnesota surge as assistant head coach/offensive adviser/game-planner and occasional play-caller.
He could have overseen the Broncos’ offense once more this season.
Offensively, the Broncos might have been superior — considering the Kubiak-Joe Flacco connection — but they certainly wouldn’t have been worse.
Who knows how the decision on both sides ultimately will play out, but we know the Vikings are averaging 26 points a game on offense and the Broncos almost 10 points fewer. They are headed in different directions.
The 3-6 Broncos, an unfeasible playoff possibility, will be in Minneapolis to play against the Vikings and Kubiak, the last coach to lead the Broncos to ultimate success.
The Gang of Four, ex-Broncos coaches, must be very elated about their twist of good fate.
If Kubiak has a preference, he’d rather not be home on the range at his ranch outside Houston until after Feb. 2, 2020.
He is joined in Minneapolis by son Klint, the Vikings quarterback coach; former Broncos’ player and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, the offensive line coach/running game coordinator; and Brian Pariani, who has served as tight ends coach with both franchises.
The Vikings are third overall in the NFL in total offensive yardage (3,844), 10th in passing (2,314) and second in rushing (1,530). The Broncos’ statistics in those areas aren’t worth comparing.
Kubiak isn’t doing much (or any) talking these days, and he thoroughly enjoys that aspect of his position. Gary didn’t care for the public side of being a head coach with the Texans for eight years and the Broncos for two. It’s not that he hates the media; The Reluctant Coach would rather be with players than columnists.
A few days after the Elway-Kubiak first practice session with the Broncos, I drove Kubiak to a Catholic church in Denver. We’ve always had a cordial relationship, especially when he was my neighbor, over 35 years and except when he has been the friendliest enemy in his stints in San Francisco, Houston, Baltimore and, now, Minneapolis.
His fourth time with the Broncos didn’t end so pleasantly. After being in the personnel department for two seasons following his abrupt departure as head coach, mainly because of health reasons, at the conclusion of the 2016 season, Kubiak was ready to get back into coaching with the Broncos as a coordinator under new hire Vic Fangio.
However, Kubiak wanted to emphasize the (Mike) Shanahan-Kubiak zone-blocking-running West Coast offense and bring back Rick, Brian and Klint. Elway and Fangio didn’t approve (even though Fangio would select an offensive coordinator who is a disciple of the same offensive system).
Four teams reached out to Kubiak. He chose the Vikings in a unique role — advising head coach Mike Zimmer and newbie offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski and devising advance game plans.
Kubiak and Stefanski merged their offensive schemes while Kubiak discussed quarterback Kirk Cousins’ strengths with friend and ex-boss Shanahan. Gary also was involved with the continued development of Vikings’ running back Dalvin Cook, who is the No. 1 NFL rusher with 991 yards.
Kubiak, who stays in the background, was in the foreground Sunday night when cameras and broadcasters discovered him.
The Vikings produced their first victory over a winning team on the road this season using a game plan that seemed right out of the Kubiak playbook.
On Sunday Gary will see only five players he coached in Super Bowl 50, the Broncos’ last postseason game.
Kubiak must be invited back to Denver someday soon for his induction into the Broncos Ring of Fame — with Shanahan of course.
This column originated in the Colorado Springs Gazette.
