HOUSTON (Feb. 15, 2006) -- Mike Sherman wanted another head-coaching job and was willing to sit out a year to wait for one.

But an aggressive owner, a former colleague and a little prodding from his wife made the ex-Green Bay coach abandon that plan and join the Houston Texans staff.

Sherman, who was fired by the Packers on Jan. 2 after posting the first losing record in his tenure there (4-12), was introduced as Houston's assistant head coach for offense.

The 51-year-old Sherman had turned down offensive coordinator positions with Buffalo and the New York Jets when the Texans began wooing him.

He is a big fan of new Texans coach Gary Kubiak, once a fellow assistant at Texas A&M, and owner Bob McNair.

Sherman's wife, Karen, it turns out, is a big fan of him having a job.

"My wife was kind of kicking me out of the house saying you need to coach. This isn't going to work," he said, only half-joking. "She played a little part in that."

Then his tone turned serious.

"Gary's one of the very few people that I would have entertained doing this with," Sherman said. "Because I sincerely want him to be successful, and he will be, and hopefully I can be a part of it in some small way."

Kubiak became the second Texans coach after the team compiled an NFL-worst 2-14 record that led to the firing of Dom Capers.

The hiring of Sherman, who was 57-39 with four playoff trips in six seasons in Green Bay, all but completes Kubiak's new staff. Kubiak said he might add an assistant defensive line coach next week. His staff of 14 includes three holdovers from Capers' staff -- Joe Marciano (special teams coordinator), Jon Hoke (defensive backs) and Chick Harris (running backs).

Sherman didn't address what his duties would be, instead preferring to characterize the position as a way to "help wherever they need me."

"Anywhere I can fit in there and maybe be someone he can bounce ideas off of because I've been through it," Sherman said. "You learn from the good things you did, but you learn a lot from the not-so-good things you did."

Kubiak, Denver's offensive coordinator the past 11 seasons, said he was thrilled when Sherman agreed to take the job.

"Here's a presence walking into your locker room and your meetings of success in this league, and that's what we're looking for," Kubiak said. "So it gives us another guy to show us how to do it."

Before last season, the Packers won more than 10 games the previous four seasons, including three consecutive NFC North division titles from 2002-04.

A former offensive line coach at Texas A&M and Green Bay, Sherman could also be a boost to Houston's porous offensive line. Quarterback David Carr has been sacked more than 200 times in his four NFL seasons.

Sherman said it took him awhile to get over the firing in Green Bay.

"I felt like a big part of that from the ground up, and now to be disassociated with it, it's difficult," he said. "It's like getting divorced from something you've been very passionate about."

Now that he's taken a new challenge, Sherman said he has just one goal.

"My only agenda coming down here would be to win," he said. "I don't have an agenda that I'm looking for the next job. I just want to take care of business here and do everything I can while I'm here."

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