Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will interview with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Houston on Friday evening for their head coaching job.
Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said Monday that he doesn't view it as a distraction to the team, which is preparing for a Divisional playoff game at Baltimore on Sunday.
"I think it's a compliment," Kubiak said. "We all know Wade's track record and the job that he's done. That's not a surprise at all somebody would want to visit him about the head coaching job. I look at it different than probably a lot of people.
"I think it's a huge compliment to (linebackers coach) Reggie Herring, (defensive backs coach) Vance (Joseph), to (assistant head coach/defensive line) Bill (Kollar), the defensive staff. It's a big compliment to our defensive players because of the job that Wade's done and those other guys that have helped him do that job.
"We're proud of any opportunity any one of our coaches would get. It will not be a distraction."
Phillips improved the Texans' defense from 30th in 2010 to second in 2011, with a 91.2-yard per game improvement that was the third-best in the NFL since 1970. He has an 82-61 (.571) career record as a head coach. He told the Houston Chronicle on Sunday that he doesn't want to leave Houston but would like to get another chance to be a head coach.
Kubiak said the Bucs asking permission to interview Phillips during the Texans' playoff run is standard procedure in the NFL. Phillips' interview with Tampa Bay will not conflict with any of his Texans obligations. The Texans typically install their game plan on Wednesday and Thursday and have a light practice on Friday.
"There's obviously a window where they have to ask for permission to ask to talk to your guys and then you try to make it work within your normal schedule," Kubiak said. "There's nothing that will change about our schedule. We'll go through our normal week and Wade will visit with them sometime Friday evening, and so he'll still be working Friday evening while everybody else is getting a little break that evening.
"So nothing will change about what we do. I want everybody to understand that."
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