Wade Phillips Named Broncos DC: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

In Houston, Gary Kubiak and Wade Phillips led the Texans to their first two playoff berths in franchise history. It appears they'll attempt to have the same success in Kubiak's new digs in Denver.

Ed Werder of ESPN and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Broncos head coach has hired Phillips to be his defensive coordinator:

The Broncos would later confirm the news. 

Many expected the move since the team hired Kubiak to replace John Fox, who mutually parted ways with the franchise after four straight AFC West championships. Kubiak, John Elway's former backup with the Broncos in the 1990s, has largely gone about getting the band back together from the late portion of his Houston run.

Denver hired Rick Dennison to serve as its offensive coordinator this week. Dennison occupied the same position with the Texans under Kubiak from 2010 to '13. Phillips, in his fifth decade as an NFL coach, was the defensive coordinator from 2011 to '13.

Together, the trio presided over the franchise's most successful two-year run. The Texans went a combined 22-10 in 2011 and 2012, winning the AFC South and a wild-card playoff game in both seasons. An injury-riddled and miserable 2013 campaign where Houston went from preseason Super Bowl contender to holding the No. 1 overall pick cut short each of their tenures.

Patric Schneider/Associated Press

In Phillips, the Broncos get one of the most celebrated defensive minds of his generation. The 67-year-old son of Bum Phillips earned his first pro job in 1976 and hasn't looked back since. He's been the defensive coordinator for seven different franchises, bringing with him his trademark 3-4 defense at each stop.

While never much of a success as a head coach—Phillips went 82-64 and won just a single playoff game—his defensive acumen can never be questioned. He played an integral role in the development of J.J. Watt in Houston and built a top-10 defense in two of the three seasons he worked under Kubiak, per Football Outsiders' DVOA metric.

Phillips also has history in Denver. The franchise offered him his first full-time head coaching gig in 1993 after Dan Reeves' departure. He went 16-16 in two seasons before giving way to Mike Shanahan, who'd go on to win the only two Super Bowls in franchise history.

No one knows quite what to make of the team's chances at adding a third in 2015.

Peyton Manning's playing status remains up in the air, and the win-now roster constructed by Elway has a number of high-profile talents set to hit the free-agent market. The Broncos team that opens the next season could look far different from Denver's division-winning outfit in 2014. But Phillips and Kubiak have had enough success together to at least give them the benefit of the doubt.

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