June 21, 2011.

What appealed to you about the Texans?
“They had a real good offense. I knew more about their team than some. It just seemed like a natural thing. It was about like San Diego when I went there.”

Did you get a chance to meet with your players before the lockout?
“We had 1-2 days in there. I met some of ‘em. DeMeco was around. That’s good. He’s kind of the defensive captain. Mario came in, especially when we changed him to linebacker. He was excited about that. I met some of ‘em, but not very many.”

Gary says your confidence rubs off on people. Where does that confidence come from?
“It’s just experience. I’ve made some mistakes. You learn from them. When I first started, it’s where my dad really helped me. The other coaches would be arguing about stuff, and he’d say, `I’ve done it this way and this way and this way, and this way is the best because…’ I know there’s not just one way to do it.
“You’ve got to realize I’ve done it 20 games a year for 35 years. You’re talking about a lot of football games. It’s experience. It’s almost twice as much as a college coach in the same amount of time.”

How has your defensive philosophy evolved?

“When we first came in the league, it was simple. We didn’t think it was simple, but it was. Everybody had a two-back offense. There wasn’t any one-back offenses. There weren’t substitution offenses and defenses. They played the same people all the time.

“It has changed quite a bit. Just formations, motions, shifts. When Joe Gibbs started shifting everybody, that added a new wrinkle to it. They’ve gone empty sets and all kinds of things. It has made it pretty complicated. You can have a simple defense, but the adjustments are complicated because they can show you so many things.”

It seems like much more of a mental challenge for defensive players.

“I think it has progressed year by year. Something would be added one year, and if it worked, people would copy it and keep going. We had the run-and-shoot for awhile, and that worked OK. But they couldn’t score when they got down there.”

And defenses are as complex as offenses now.

“That’s where I think college and high school have fallen behind. You can’t teach all that stuff because of time. The playoff games are 45-40. The college games are all high scoring. We can give more looks, teach more, audible blitzes to try and offset being spread out. We also have better athletes.”

Who has been the biggest coaching influence on you?

“My dad. We started with a 3-4. He put it in at Houston. We’ve adjusted a lot. Some of the things we still do. Some of the terminology is the same.”

Your basic belief is speeding up the opposing quarterback?

“That’s some of it. You’re just more mobile. It’s about speed on the field. You’ve got linebackers that can run. The matchups are better. When the Zone Blitz came in, the 3-4 is a lot better. Linebackers are used to doing that.”

What did you see when you began studying the Texans?
“You try to look objectively at everything. I looked at schemes to see what they’d been asked to play. I watched the movement of the individuals. It’s like making evaluations of college players.”

What gets you excited about this team?

“I think we have some talented players, some guys who can run and move well. I certainly worried about how young the team was. We let two safeties go, two experienced guys. You worry about the secondary.”

How much are you missing by not having the guys on the field?

“It’s not just teaching the scheme. We can teach that pretty quickly. It’s how the individuals are going to play in that scheme, getting everybody in the right place.”

Are you comfortable with your nose tackles?

“Oh yeah. I like both Cody and Mitchell. Cody actually played kind of a cocked nose last year, and played that real well. You can play it that way.”

You like Earl Mitchell?

“He needs to play. He’s real strong lower body, which is what you really like in there. He’s got the quickness and speed. I really liked him on film. I would have liked to have seen more of him. He’s a good looking player.”

What’s your opinion of Cushing?

“He’s a violent player. You can tell even on tape that he loves to play. He’s going to be a get after ‘em kind of guy. He’s tough, real physical. He has good instincts and can run. He’s a good football player. He’s a player you want on your team. I thought he looked good inside because he can get to the football.”

Talk about shifting Mario.

“We were looking at the draft and kept saying, `We’ve got to get a guy who can rush.’ Well, we have a guy. He should be a top rusher. I finally said, `Maybe we don’t need a rookie who may or may not be able to do it. We’ve got a guy who can do it.’ When you put him out there, you need a defensive lineman. I thought it turned out really good for us.”

What about Kareem Jackson?

“I’ve only been around him once. He said all the right things then. But that was after the deal in Puerto Rico or wherever it was. That worries me. I think technique-wise he needed a lot of work. That’s what we’ve got to do with him. I guess he was able to play at Alabama without a lot of technique without worrying about staying low enough or moving his feet, those kinds of things. I think that caught up with him. I think we can coach him. We’ll drill him enough that we’ll go over and over and over.”

You like your front seven?

“I think we’re strong in the front seven. I think we’re going to be real strong. Right now, we’re real young in the secondary. I don’t know those guys.”

What goals do you have for this defense?

“We set our goals to be in the Top 10 in most categories. You try to make realistic goals. I understand when you’re 31st or 32nd, but I still think you reach for thing.”

Were you ever intimidated by having a famous father in the same business?

“He became more famous when I was with him. I was here with the Oilers. He was a famous high school coaches. I was in the fieldhouse all the time. At Nederland, I was in the fieldhouse. I did take the water bucket out there. The players were my heroes, therefore, my dad was my hero because he was the coach. Everybody loved the football coach because he was winning.

“Bum was a famous high school coach. When you’d go to coaching school, everybody wanted to hear what he had to say. Gordon Wood once told me, `You know I’d won three or four state championships, and I’d walk into the coaching school and they were all wanting to know where Bum Phillips was speaking.’ Gordon told me that.”

Are players different today?
“They’re different. Society’s different. But it always has been changing. People say pro players this and that. I coached in high school, college and pro ball. Before the game, they’re all the same. They’re all excited to play the game. They’re not thinking about contracts or any of that stuff. They’re all the same. They’ve got the look in their eye.”

You seem so calm on the sideline?

“I try to be analytical. If it comes down to a situation,…. Some guys rant and rave, and jump up and down. I want to know what to call on the next play and what adjustments to make. That’s the way I’ve always approached it. I like to be on the field. I can look a guy in the eye when he comes off the field and talk to him. Sometimes they’ve got the deer-in-the-headlights look, and you’ve got to settle ‘em down.”

How did you feel about getting fired?

“I took it the same way I did when they fired us on New Year’s Eve here. We’d been to two straight AFC Championship Games and lost in the playoffs to a team that won the Super Bowl (Oakland). We lost to the Super Bowl winner three years in a row. I thought I was a good coach. The Cowboys won 11 games a year for three years. We had 33 wins in three years. In half a year, you’re gone. That’s just part of it.”

What did you do after getting fired?

“I think I watched football. My dad said, `You ought to come down and help the Texans.’ I said, `Well, I don’t think they need my help right now.”’

What are you most excited about?

“Just the new challenge. And working with a new team and new players. Unfortunately for coaches, sometimes something new generates more energy.”

You’re in a holding pattern now. Worried?

“It’s OK right now. If we get a training camp, we’ll be fine. If we don’t have training camp, then it’s going to be harder. We can get all our stuff in. We’re real player friendly. We can get it taught. I wish they’d give us three days with no helmets–just classrooms and walk-throughs–and then start training camp.”

How excited would this town be to have a good NFL team?

“I know how it can be. I’ve been here when it was. That was something you never forget. I’d love to a part of that.”

(Source: Houston Chronicle)

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