HOUSTON -– The Houston Texans have named Ray Rhodes as the team’s new assistant defensive backs coach, it was announced today.
The Seattle defense improved from 28th in the NFL the year prior to his arrival to 19th in his first season. Seattle made the playoffs in each of Rhodes’ five seasons there.
Rhodes is reunited in Houston with a number of former colleagues, including Texans head coach Gary Kubiak, with whom he coached in San Francisco in 1994 and in Denver from 2001-02.
“He brings tremendous experience and passion to our coaching staff,” Kubiak said.
Rhodes is a veteran of 27 years in the NFL, including 12 as a defensive coordinator or head coach. As a coordinator, his defense has finished outside the league’s top 10 just three times.
His career record as a head coach is 37-42-1, including a pair of playoff appearances. He was head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1995-98 and was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers in 1999. Rhodes earned NFL Coach of the Year honors in 1995 when he guided the Eagles to a 10-6 record and advanced to the NFC Divisional Playoffs in his first season as head coach.
Prior to joining the Seahawks, Rhodes was defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos from 2001-02. Rhodes spent the 2000 season as the Washington Redskins’ defensive coordinator. He also served as the defensive coordinator in Green Bay (1992-93) and San Francisco (1994) prior to taking the Eagles head coaching position.