Composite image by Jack Brame.

The Houston Rockets are looking for a new head coach. Mike D'Antoni announced he was leaving the Rockets on the plane ride home after the Lakers polished off the Rockets, 4-1, in the Western Conference semifinals.

The Rockets should look for a coach who's innovative and experienced, with a track record of winning, even when his team's front office is known for blunder trades and poor decisions on draft day.

You can stop looking, Tilman and Daryl. I have just the coach for the Rockets. In fact, he's looking for an open coaching position right now. You're going to love this guy. He's coached 16 years in the NBA and has a .560 winning percentage. He did great with his last team, finishing with the highest winning percentage in that franchise's history. Get this, he's been named NBA Coach of the Year – twice!

His name is Mike D'Antoni.

With the ink still wet on his "I quit" to the Rockets, D'Antoni is rumored to be named coach of either the Pacers or 76'ers. Think of it, he's willing to leave Houston for Indiana or Philly. Has D'Antoni forgotten that the NBA plays most of its season in winter? The average high temperature in January in Indiana is 34 degrees. At night it goes down to 18 degrees. That's nippy. Philly isn't much better, the average high is 41, low 28.

D'Antoni would rather shiver in Indiana or Philly than soak up the sun in Houston. He'd rather eat a crappy Philly cheesesteak than our world class barbecue and Tex-Mex. I have no idea what they eat in Indy. Does he know that Blue Bell homemade vanilla isn't sold up north?

Maybe D'Antoni considered the Rockets returning roster for next season. The team's top three scorers (James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Eric Gordon) are on the down side of 30. The defensive stopper (P.J. Tucker) is 35.

Over his 16 seasons, D'Antoni coached in Denver, Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles and Houston. His teams have an overall 672-527 record, a .560 winning percentage.

Los Angeles Clippers reserves Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell set an all-time NBA records for two players coming off the bench this season. Harrell won the 6th Man award this year. Williams won it the previous two seasons. Pat Beverley is a defensive maniac. Chris Paul is still one of the best clutch shooters in the league. Clint Capela, Gerald Green, Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard and more. What do they all have in common?

The Rockets traded them away or let them walk. Oh yeah, throw a bunch of first-round draft picks in the out basket, too. The Rockets haven't made a first-round pick since 2015.

Fun fact: 18 different players wore a Rockets uniform this year. Not one of them was drafted by the Rockets. You'll hear, that's only because we draft players knowing we can trade them for players we really want. Really? Here's an idea, why don't we draft players we do want?

The Rockets had success during D'Antoni's tenure – three conference semifinals and one conference final, despite the roster's revolving door. The Rockets were 44-28 this season, 217-101 over D'Antoni's four years in Houston. As Larry David would say, that's pretty, pretty, pretty good

Fun fact: let's pile into a time travel machine and turn the dial to 2015-16, just four seasons ago. There is only one player on that roster – James Harden - who still plays for the Rockets. That's why Houston fans shouldn't boo the other team. Some of those guys could be our guys next year. It's not easy for kids to get hooked on the Rockets because the team they cheered for in third grade is mostly gone by the time they're in fifth grade.

Last year, the Rockets traded clutch Chris Paul and two protected first-round picks for Russell Westbrook. Last we saw of Westbrook he was stinking up the Rockets-Lakers series, and trash talking ("You better double me") LeBron James. The Rockets were down 29 points in the fourth quarter at the time. LeBron just laughed, the reaction most people have when watching a clown act.

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The Longhorns host Georgia on Saturday night. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

By any measure, from the official statistics to the informal eye test, top-ranked Texas' defense has been dominant.

The Longhorns rank No. 1 in total defense and scoring defense. They are top 10 in first downs allowed, tackles for loss and passing yards. Much of that is built against opponents starting former walk-on quarterbacks ( Michigan ) and freshmen ( Mississippi State and Oklahoma.)

But the level of quarterback play Texas will face, in both talent and experience, is about to get much better over the second half of the season.

Texas hosts No. 5 Georgia on Saturday night in the first matchup of top five teams in Austin since 2006, before playing the next week at Vanderbilt. Bulldogs senior Carson Beck was a preseason first team Associated Press All-America pick, and standout Vanderbilt transfer Diego Pavia has carried the Commodores to a surprising 4-2 start, including a historic win over then-No. 1 Alabama.

Quite simply, Texas hasn't defended this caliber of quarterback all season.

Beck is a player on the doorstep of the NFL, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said.

“There's nothing in the throw game (Beck) can't do,” Sarkisian said. “He's played enough football now, too. It's kind of hard to confuse guys when they've played that much football.”

Texas (6-0, 2-0 SEC) has allowed just one team to pass for more than 200 yards this season. Beck passed for 459 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions last week in a 41-31 win over Mississippi State. His 36 completions set a Georgia record.

Even when Beck struggled early in Georgia's loss to Alabama, he rallied the Bulldogs to a late fourth-quarter lead. He finished with 439 yards in the loss where Georgia's rally ended with an Alabama interception in the end zone in the final minute.

Sarkisian recruited Beck when the Texas coach was an assistant at Alabama. Beck had initially committed to the Crimson Tide before switching to Georgia.

Beck is 18-2 in his career as a starter, and 6-2 against top 20 opponents.

The Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1) will need another exceptional game from him Saturday. A second SEC loss could threaten any chance of playing for the SEC championship, and raise the alarms on the College Football Playoff as well.

Texas has all but overwhelmed opposing quarterbacks so far.

In last week's 34-3 thrashing of rival Oklahoma, the Longhorns sacked Sooners freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. five times, and held him to 27 yards on 20 carries. Texas allowed just 225 total yards.

Hawkins was the first Sooners freshman to start at quarterback against the Longhorns in the 120-year history of the rivalry and was quickly swallowed up by a relentless pass rush.

By the numbers, the Longhorns program is on pace for a historic season. Sarkisian has said his favorite stat is points allowed, which is not many.

Texas has surrendered only three touchdowns all season. Opponents have snatched four turnovers inside Texas territory, but none have produced points.

That ability to snuff momentum can drain an opponent, Sarkisian said.

“We're so composed as a defense,” Texas safety Michael Taaffe said. “We're so confident, that no matter what happens, everything is going to be alright.”

The only time Texas has trailed this season was a 3-0 early deficit against Oklahoma. Several Longhorns starters were still on the field when the Sooners' final drive stalled at the Texas 6-yard-line as the game ended.

The stars emerging for the Longhorns have been second-year linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and freshman edge rusher Colin Simmons.

Hill leads the team in total tackles (42), sacks (4 1/2) and tackles for loss (8 1/2). His sideline-to-sideline speed and move this season from the edge to the middle of the Texas defense has drawn comparisons to former Longhorns All-American Derrick Johnson 20 years ago.

Simmons has four sacks and 7 1/2 tackles for losses, second on the team in both categories.

“Size, speed,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said in summing up the Texas defense.

“They’re the complete package on defense," Smart said. "The consistency you watch them play with, it reminds me of some of our best teams here.”By any measure, from the official statistics to the informal eye test, top-ranked Texas' defense has been dominant.