Ray Rhodes spent the past five seasons coaching with the Seattle Seahawks.
The Houston Texans have named Ray Rhodes as the team's new assistant defensive backs coach, it was announced today.
Rhodes joins the Texans following five seasons (2003-07) with the Seattle Seahawks. He was the Seahawks defensive coordinator from 2003-05, and then moved into the role of special projects/defense for the past two seasons.
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.
The Mexia, Texas native broke into the NFL coaching ranks in 1981 as the assistant secondary coach for the San Francisco 49ers. He was promoted to defensive backs coach in 1983 and remained in that position until 1991. Rhodes owns five Super Bowl rings as a coach, all with the 49ers. He was the defensive coordinator for San Francisco's last World Championship team in 1994.
Rhodes played running back for two seasons at TCU (1969-70) before transferring to Tulsa and completing his career there. Rhodes was selected by the New York Giants in the 10th round of the 1974 NFL Draft and played for seven years (1974-80). He played three seasons at wide receiver for the Giants and led the NFL with a 20.7 yards-per-catch average in 1975 before being moved to defensive back in 1977. He won a starting job at cornerback and started for three years for the Giants before being traded to San Francisco before the 1980 season, his last as a player.
