Texans Make Crennel Defensive Coordinator

The Texans didn’t have to look far to replace defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel, who left to become the Titans’ head coach on Saturday. The team will make assistant coach Romeo Crennel the new leader of the defense, a source tells The MMQB’s Albert Breer (Twitter link). Romeo Crennel

A longtime coach in the NFL, Crennel has spent the last four seasons in Houston as the team’s defensive coordinator (2014-16) and transitioned to an assistant head coach role in 2017 after the team moved Vrabel to defensive coordinator. In his final season as the team’s defensive coordinator, Houston allowed the fewest yards in the league.

Crennel rose to fame in New England and helped the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title in his first season as the team’s defensive coordinator (2001). He remained with the team through 2004, boasting three top-10 finishes in scoring defense, before joining the Browns as head coach. He spent four seasons at the helm in Cleveland and delivered the team’s last 10-win campaign (2007) before joining the Chiefs as defensive coordinator. The following season, he ascended to head coach and remained with Kansas City for two more seasons.

The transition back to defensive coordinator will be a smooth one for Crennel, who was still heavily involved with the defense in 2017, FOX 26’s Mark Berman reports (Twitter link).

Crennel should benefit from the return of J.J. Watt, who was sidelined for much of the 2017 campaign with an injury.

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