Sports Illustrated is reporting that Texans head coach Gary Kubiak has been released after an 11-game losing streak.  Formerly two-time AFC South champions, the Texans are now contestants for the first overall draft pick.

While speculation of the impending change was rampant in the media, it was confirmed in a Friday morning press conference.

“This has been a very disappointing year for the Texans organization,” team owner Bob McNair said. “We started out with such high hopes, and we felt like it was the best roster we’ve ever started the year with. We really, really anticipated a very favorable outcome, and to have this string of losses is just totally unacceptable. It’s not what this organization is about. We’re about winning and accountability, and even though we would normally wait until the end of the year to evaluate our coaching staff … under these extreme circumstances, I thought it was in the best interests of the organization to go ahead and start that evaluation process now.   “We felt that a change was needed at the head coach position, so Gary Kubiak is no longer the head coach.”   “We’ve been together almost 18 years, and there’s a lot of history with Gary,” general manager Rick Smith added. “I have tremendous respect for him … We’ve got to right the ship. We’ve got to move forward. We have three more games to evaluate every player, coach and process.”

The former Denver Broncos backup quarterback and assistant coach was hired to lead the Texans before the 2006 season, replacing Dom Capers. He has amassed a 61-64 regular-season record, with two playoff wins in four chances. But the current losing slide, compounded as it had been by a season sweep at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars, made the decision an easy one for the Houston higher-ups, though it seemed like an unbelievable option before this season began.

Thursday night’s loss to the Jaguars was perhaps the clearest indication that Kubiak was lost and flailing for answers wherever he could find them. Houston racked up rampant penalties (14 for 177 yards) that killed its drives over and over, Kubiak made several questionable in-game strategic decisions and the team appeared listless and undisciplined. When Kubiak subbed quarterback Case Keenum out for former starter Matt Schaub and Schaub ended the game in the wrong direction with an interception, it was clear that something in the coach-team dynamic had gone clearly bad at some point along the way.

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