Gary Kubiak Reportedly to Be Broncos OC Under New Head Coach Vic Fangio

Gary Kubiak has returned to coaching. 

The former Houston Texans and Denver Broncos head coach reportedly will take over as Denver's offensive coordinator, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Schefter also reported the Broncos will hire former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio as their head coach.

Kubiak's NFL career began as John Elway's backup in Denver (1983-91), though he made his name as both a head coach and offensive coordinator after his playing days.

After spending a year as the quarterbacks coach in San Francisco (1994), he became Denver's offensive coordinator in 1995, a position he held until 2005. In the process, he won two Super Bowl titles with the team.

Kubiak then took over as the Texans head coach in 2006, going 61-64 in eight seasons while reaching the playoffs twice. After he was fired from that post, he spent one season as the Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator (2014) before Elway—now serving as Denver's general manager—hired him to be head coach in 2015. 

Kubiak went 21-11 in two years at the helm, winning a Super Bowl in the 2015 season with future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning at quarterback, before retiring from coaching in January 2017 for health reasons. He didn't stay away from the game long, though, as the Broncos hired him to be a scouting and personnel advisor in July 2017.

Apparently, though, the coaching bug has bit him again. 

The 57-year-old has long been a respected offensive mind, with his offenses finishing in the top 10 in yards 13 times and the top 10 in points 15 times.

Had his health permitted, he likely would have never left his post as Broncos head coach, so his hiring is a strong one for the team.

Elway has done everything in his power to keep Kubiak with the Broncos organization, so promoting him to offensive coordinator was a natural choice once he decided he wanted to coach again.

Kubiak should improve an offense that struggled in 2018, though the team still has major questions from a personnel perspective, namely the quarterback position. Case Keenum was mediocre, throwing for 3,890 yards, 18 scores and 15 interceptions while completing 62.3 percent of his passes.

He isn't the long-term answer, and how the Broncos address the position will play a major role in Kubiak's success—or lack thereof—upon his return to coaching.