Well we certainly didn’t see this one coming. The Texans have fired head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).
The Texans of course are 0-4, but it’s still a pretty shocking development since there hadn’t been any recent reports that O’Brien’s job was in imminent danger. Schefter noted in a follow-up tweet that a source told him Romeo Crennel is the likely interim head coach. O’Brien clearly wasn’t expecting to get canned, as we heard just yesterday that he was taking over offensive play-calling duties and taking a more active role in the game-planning.
The Texans are a trainwreck at the moment, as not only are they winless but they’re also without their first and second-round picks in next year’s draft due to trades O’Brien made. O’Brien had recently clashed with prominent players at practice and executive Jack Easterby is now in charge of the organization for the time being, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets.
O’Brien now becomes the first head coach fired during the 2020 season, beating out contenders like Adam Gase and Dan Quinn for the honor. GM Brian Gaine was fired back in June of 2019, and O’Brien has been in complete control of the team ever since. He was formally named the general manager back in January.
The former Penn State coach and Patriots offensive coordinator made a slew of controversial moves, most notably trading away superstar DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals this offseason for relatively little in return. The Texans have a franchise quarterback in Deshaun Watson, but things are pretty bleak outside of him due to the lack of draft capital.
It’s been a rapid collapse for Houston after they advanced to the second round of the playoffs last year and had a huge lead over the Chiefs in the first half. O’Brien became the head coach in 2014 and while he’s earned a lot of the criticism he’s gotten, he did lead the team to the playoffs in four of his six full seasons.
The Texans started with an absolutely brutal schedule of the Chiefs, Ravens, and Steelers in their first three games, and are running out of time to turn things around. Crennel has been with the team in varying capacities since 2014 as well. He’ll take over a team with some real talent, and he has head coaching experience. He coached the Browns from 2005-08, and was more recently the Chiefs’ head coach from 2011-12.
As for their next full time head coach, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is sure to get consideration. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets to keep an eye on current defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, writing that the “team loves him and he’s seen as a serious contender for a HC job this offseason.” Meanwhile Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets that Easterby is on a “very long-term contract,” and notes that he is close with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as well as Pats exec Nick Caserio, who the Texans originally wanted to be their GM last year. Easterby is going to be heavily involved in the ensuing search process alongside owner Cal McNair, according to multiple reports.
McDaniels’ name is brought up annually in head coaching searches, and it sounds like that will be the case once again here. A handful of reporters immediately began speculating on Twitter that there could be interest in Dabo Swinney, Watson’s former coach at Clemson. That was all just spitballing and nothing sourced, but it’s fun to think about nonetheless. Watson isn’t the only connection there, as Albert Breer of SI.com tweets he’s been told Easterby is also “very friendly” with Swinney.
As for O’Brien, it’s anyone’s guess what his next move will be. Today ends a tumultuous era of Texans football, and it’ll be very interesting to see if Watson can lead the team out of the hole they currently find themselves in.
Well earned and deserved.
Oh snap
Eric Bieniemy, go get him!
Chiefs will do everything to keep him but Jeff Fisher is probably ready to pile up even more losses on his record.
Andy Reid was actually upset that Bieniemy didn’t get a head coaching job last year. While the Chiefs will certainly miss him, Andy Reid knows he’s ready and wants him to be successful so he will not stand in his way if he’s offered a well deserved job this offseason.
Reid merely gave Eric a personal endorsement as you would expect him to do publicly. Bottom line is that the Chiefs gave Bieniemy a salary raise and extension to stay on as OC so they don’t want to lose him. He’ll be a HC eventually and maybe even replace Reid.
I can’t imagine he needs to wait that long or that Reid would want him to. Reid has a pretty thorough history of assistants moving on to bigger opportunities.
There is no reason for Eric to rush away from a championship team with Mahomes to coach some chronic bottom feeder like the Jets or Lions. He’s in a situation most other coaches would love to be in. The added status of having HC instead of OC in front of your name isn’t worth the misery he would experience with those other teams.
Noooo!….Falcons need him lol. Dang it! I was hoping BOB would last one more season so we could get Bieniemy. Watson and his age way more attractive job than Ryan and his age…oh well lol
Wayyyy too late
only a year and 3 or 4 trades too late…
You’ll be paying for those traded draft picks for the next few years.
maybe they were afraid if they landed the #1 overall he would turn around and trade it for (2)6ths and a washed up RB
I’m happy Deshaun Watson doesn’t have to waste more of his prime years on that guy. Hopefully the next GM and coach are two different people and both have better judgment.
the impossible has happened
Couldn’t have done this before he trade Hopkins
You’re gonna have to trade Watson for the picks BOB just traded away for nothing. Let the rebuild begin!
Sandusky would be proud
Why is that? O’Brien had absolutely nothing to with Sandusky?
There will never be a trade as bad as deandre Hopkins for David Johnson, he should’ve been fired that day for that pathetic trade, Watson isn’t as good without an all world receiver? Only bill dumbass O’Brien is shocked
He should have been fired before that trade happened. The owner should have said you want to trade who? I don’t think so Bill.
Watson and the receivers aren’t the issue nor is David Johnson.
That oline is swiss cheese.
Even with Hopkins Texans probably are 0-4. They just can’t protect him or do anything right along the oline.
Texans will regret the Laremy Tunsil contract and trade more than the Hopkins trade.
Even worse is in a deep class of receiver and oline Texans had 2 2nd round picks.
They took Ross Blacklock over Laviska Shenault Jr who went to their division rivals.
Traded the other 2nd rounder to the Rams for Cooks…..when they could have used it to draft oline help or trade back for more picks and oline help.
They need a GM to build through the draft. Someone from the Steelers front office who had a hand in draft and player development.
They need to give Watson speed guys which they don’t really have. You look at the Chiefs, Seahawks, Ravens they have that speed guy plus big bodied guy that can go get it.
Lockett/Metcalf, Brown/Andrews, Hill/Kelce
They basically ONLY have speed guys. Fuller, Cooks, Stills. And that may well be fine if they could protect Watson enough for him to go downfield or if they had a better running attack to keep defenses honest or if they had a scheme that put people in a position to succeed. The Rams receiving corps fits a different mold than the ones you describe, as do the Bills. The Texans don’t need to fit another team’s vision as much as they need a fresh and competent vision for building an offense around Watson.
Cooks and Cobb are past their prime imo. Cooks and his 5 concussions later
The only “young” speed guy they have is Fuller, who rarely can stay healthy. Not someone im investing in long term.
Rams fit the bill as the rest. Fast guy, Kupp, big bodied guy in Higbee. Higbee caught 69 passes last year for 734 yards. Not like a TE isn’t utilized in that offense.
The bills are the only one that doesn’t utilize big bodied guys unless its in the run game or down on the goaline.
But yeah, don’t try to mimic what 4 out of 5 playoff bound teams are trying to do. No. Thatd be stoopid.
Watson needs the following
1. oline
2. big bodied TE or WR
3. A speed guy whos young and can stay healthy
4. A big bodied back to complement Johnson. Small, heavy, ground pounder.
I’m not arguing about Cooks or Cobb, but the Rams thing simply isn’t true. Kupp is not a speed guy.
Some of the blame has to go on Watson too. He has been terrible so far this season. He is missing wide open receivers much more than he ever has. He has a quality TE in Akins but doesn’t look his way enough. Because of that stupid Tunsil contract along with Watson’s new contract, they weren’t able to pay Hopkins what he wanted (or deserved). With that said, DeAndre Hopkins is the type of talent who should have returned (2) first round draft picks vs. (1) second round pick & a broken down running back. I can’t believe the owner allowed that to happen. It’s going to be a couple of painful years for Houston as they need a rebuild and are devoid of high draft picks next season. They just need to make sure they keep Watson healthy during the rebuild. He’s on pace to get sacked 60+ times this year.
Yep. If nothing else, the Diggs trade showed that IF you were going to trade Hopkins (don’t), it was ludicrous to not land a first round pick. If only the errors had stopped there.
If it was so bad…shouldn’t the owner have stepped in and blocked it?
The team’s whole chain of command has been a mess for a while–which isn’t entirely their fault, since their GM stepped aside for personal reasons and their owner died the same year. O’Brien wrangled the GM job after that, which is a decent sign there was anyone around strong enough to oversee him.
And good luck to Mike Zimmer. Not the most confidence inspiring to be in your seventh year head coaching and losing to your team is a fireable offense.
It was payback for the 0-4 start… and a lot of other things.
It’s funny that this is even framed as being about the record. They had a really difficult first three games. Going 0-3 isn’t NEARLY as fireable on merit as some of his offseason moves were the second he made them.
The 0-4 start is proof positive the moves didn’t work. If he’s 3-1, he can argue he was right. But you can’t can him for making a move before that move’s affects are felt.
Unless you’re Dan Snyder, but, that’s another thread.
You can fire someone for bad process, and boy oh boy did he make two trades that showed horrendous process this offseason alone.
His worst move was giving someone else the job of playcaller since it cost him his job. 80 Run plays in 4 games.
I wouldn’t let O’Brien run my fantasy team
Or fantasy league!
I don’t know why he stepped down as the Playcaller and gave the Reigns over to this Kelly Bozo.
that is why he is 0-4. Romeo will fare no better unless he puts a Gun to the playcallers head.
Did not see this coming? Really? They trade arguably a top three wide receiver in the league then start 0-4 should have been fired five years ago and you did not see it coming LOL
You are right on. Now that this POS is gone I’ll start rooting for the Texans again.
Why does Gase still have a job with the Jets?
There’s no season to salvage with them.
Something to keep an eye on.
It will be a race between the Jets & Falcons to see who can fire their head coach the fastest now. My money is on the Jets as Arthur Blank is too nice of a guy.
Broncos are still in the race because they have Putrid Pat Shurmur as the OC. Zac Taylor won 1 game with the Bengals but he is a Pass Happy Prick. Maybe some moron team will hire Mike Leach. QB1 out for yr QB2 Out for yr QB3 out for yr. Leach throws easily more then 70% of the time and has maybe 1 or 2 run plays in his entire playbook because he can’t fit anymore on that little card of his. The only reason he beat LSU was most of LSU’s team was gone from last yr, Opted out and the best DB got Food Poisoning. Then the LSU DC Buddy Ryan’d it got stubborn like Buddy did against the Dolphins in 1985. I would go with a Defensive coach or an Offensive Coach like Greg Roman who is not a Pass Happy Prick like most of these so called Genius’s.
Because the Jets are afraid to fire him knowing they could end up with someone worse like Putrid Pat Shurmur or Mike Leach.
They should look into Greg Roman from Balt. He’s never been more than an offensive coordinator but what he’s done with Lamar has been great.
He did some great work in SF too and was scapegoated in buffalo when he was most certainly not the problem. That’s definitely an enticing candidate.
I could see the Jets firing Gase and hiring O’Brien. Practically the same situation when they hired Gase after being fired from the Dolphins
Lol
Please don’t give them any ideas.
Except O’Brien has a winning track record
Getting to play the Jaguars twice every year has helped a lot with that, but yeah, he’s certainly shown more as a head coach than Gase. You just can’t let him double as GM, which is true of almost everyone.
These are coaches no one should hire if they get fired as a Head Coach, or OC or Playcaller
the list starts with
Putrid Pat Shurmur
Adam Gase
Norv Turner
Scott Turner
Sean Payton
Anyone who Consistently has a team throwing the ball more then 60% of the time You might win with that a few times if you are lucky enough to have an elite QB.
I should add Kellen Moore to the list
This Bozo Kelly currently calling plays for the Texans
History shows the more balanced teams, run balanced to run heavy teams make the playoffs, Make it to the Superbowl and win.
10 of the pass 60% or more have made it to the Superbowl 4 have won but then again you can’t have a tie in the superbowl. That was the Raiders vs Bucs
Then Callahan got axed the next yr. The Falcons OC Koetter, Pederson of the Eagles, Jason Garrett, Zac Taylor unless he learns what a Run play is 2 weeks in a row. So many pass Happy Pricks in the league. They stop running when they have the lead, when it is effective.
What…what the hell is this analysis
If you didn’t see this coming then you are either Bill O’Brien or weren’t watching the Texans this season.
Hopefully the Chargers do the same.
Who did they get for the next two years #1 and #2’s?
Base is giving double middle fingers at betters saying he would be fired first. They both deserve it, though.
Gase*
lmao
When he even thought about trading Clowney they should have fired him.
I’d call Steve “Air McNair” and see if he’d be interested in coaching. Players would respect him and he’d be able to match skills with Deshaun Watson
Unless this is a very strange joke, I’m afraid you missed some pretty important news about Steve McNair.
What!?!! He died???
So you mean to say Steve McNair from the grave is better coach than BOB.
Progress
Wow that took long enough. I guess overpaying and giving away players is picks isn’t a good thing to do.Juat because you worked for Bill Belicheat doesn’t mean you are Bill Billicheat.
Honestly, “BOB” should’ve been given a few more games. You faced literally 3 of the top 4 teams in the AFC to begin the year. Texans almost won the Steelers game. Vikings game could’ve been better. Unsure what the interim coach is going to do the O’Brien wasn’t doing. At least in terms of this season.
The players hate him and I’m sure Watson, Watt and other team leaders talked to the owner about it. It was an untenable situation so a move had to be made now as he had lost the locker room. No one wants to play for a guy like that.
The Moral of the story is RUN THE BALL!!!!!!!!!. They should have fired the Fool calling the plays too this Kelly Bozo.
Welp, there goes my hope of trading Trubisky’s rights and a sixth for Watson and a third.
The man had a rectal chin. That alone warrants the axe.
QB’s best friends – WR and stout Defense. BOB got rid of both. Wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to include Watson’s dog in a trade.
A Quarterbacks best friends are his O-line, his Running backs, a TE or Elite WR who catches everything like Hopkins. Plus they should have fired the OC/ Playcaller as well he is the one who got O’Brien Fired 80 run plays in 4 games. O’brien last yr they averaged 26.5 runs a game. Sacks in my system count as pass plays, My system of percentages helps me in my picks. Some Offensive Coaches never learn as in Pat Shurmur he basically was going to get fired by Zimmer if he did not run the ball. So you have a gun to your head to run the ball he does. Only year his offense has ever been balanced. Every other yr 60% pass or above does not matter the quality of running back he has on his team. His record with the Giants was pretty good when Saquon got 20 rush attempts. either 3-1 or 4-2.
You’ve posted in this thread like 8 times and almost every one of them has mentioned Pat Schurmer, who has nothing to do with the Texans and is employed by the Denver Broncos. Most of them also mention Mike Leach who, again, has nothing to do with the Texans. Seek professional help.
Romeo Crennel (28-55) is an awful choice for interim head coach.
Look deeper than that. He’s respected and liked by his players, and when you fire a head coach you need your interim coach to provide a little bit of leadership and stability. Things won’t go off the rails with Crennel, and that’s pretty much all you can ask for.
Here are the primary starting QBs Crennel has had as a head coach: Matt Cassel, Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson, and 33-year old Trent Dilfer.
I’m not saying he’s a good head coach candidate, but judging him by his record is unfair. He’s had some unsalvageable teams to coach. The fact that he once got a 10-6 season out of a Derek Anderson-led team looks pretty impressive in retrospect.
The one Good yr Derek Anderson ever had.
“Didn’t see this one coming?” Really?
Thing is, he was not that good a head coach either. I keep seeing people trying to say that he was a good coach but bad GM, but I just never got that. O’Brien was good at scheming up plays and his offensive system, but he really faltered at times in handling in game situations and failed to build any type of productive relationship with a significant portion of his roster (including star players like Hopkins and Clowney).
I don’t mean that O’Brien was abjectly terrible as a coach, not at all, but he failed to impress in several obvious scenarios in judging the pace of the game and calculating when to be aggressive and when to be conservative. The ultimate example of this was his playoff run that many people use as evidence of his coaching prowess. That loss to the Chiefs was only possible due to O’Brien failing to fully capitalize on his good field position and defensive playmaking during the first half.
From my perspective, just as a football fan watching from the couch, I knew the Texans were done as soon as O’Brien elected to take the field goal try to end the first half, in lieu of pushing the ball to put up more points to close the half and further his lead against a powerful offense (as well as further demoralizing his opponent, instead of letting them use the forcing of a field goal to rally their own team). Instead of coaching to the end of the game and realizing the potential for a comeback, O’Brien started playing the clock and settled in before the second halfeven started. By the time he realized that KC was actually good, it was too late, and his desperate attempts at aggressive playcalling late were predictable and easily handled by a confident Chiefs team.
O’Brien, as he had done during the regular season, reacted to losing momentum instead of seizing it for himself, because of his overconfidence and hubris in assuming that his game plan was too smart to be beaten. That last part is just my theory, of course, but that’s how it looked to me. That playoff loss was just the epitome of a long running and easily observable trend in my mind.
O’Brien traded Hopkins, then gave up playcalling Duties. the Texans have 80 Rushing attempts in 4 games. the Rams already proved you still run the ball when down and get back in the game. They were down 28-3 to the pass happy Bills. in 2019 the Texans made the playoffs 57.9% pass plays. The Chiefs were at 61.6% the only team to make the playoffs at 60% You put stress on your defense when you forget to run the ball. already a bunch of games this yr teams have come back from big deficits because the other team was pass happy. Eagles up 17-0 on Washington. The teams who are at or above 60% pass this yr 17-37-2
you take out the Bills, Bucs, and Bears that drops to 7-35-2. The Teams who are more balanced offensively then their opponents, run balanced to run heavy 52-9-1 with one Push. The Push game was the Vikings against the Titans. There are 8 teams right around 50% pass vs run. 6 of them are throwing less then 50% they have a 15-9 record. Take out the 1-3 Vikings that record is 14-6. The Mike Leach has coached college Football for 20 yrs his avg record 7-5. His avg pass to run is 79.2% I have done averages for various teams in their wins vs their losses and it pretty much comes out that in wins those teams ran the Football in the losses they got pass happy. The 1st playoff teams that passed 60% or more were the Run n Shoot Oilers. Not very many of these teams have made it to superbowls. I think it is like 10. They are 4-6 after the Chiefs win. 2002 was the only time two of these teams faced each other. Raiders vs Bucs. The Chiefs have a special QB in Mahomes. The Rams went from 62.3% pass last yr to 48.8% pass this yr. I would not be surprised if the winner of the NFC East this yr was 5-11 or 5-10-1. Every one of them is throwing more then 60% the Cowboys with Elliott and Pollard at RB a Ridiculous 68.6% that would be Mike Leach only he would probably be at 75% pass. Buddy Ryan was stubborn in the 85 Bears only loss to the Dolphins. Same thing with these Offensive Coaches who get pass happy even when they are winning and the run game is working.
“O’Brien now becomes the first head coach fired during the 2020 season, beating out contenders like Adam Gase and Dan Quinn for the honor.”
lol, I got a nice belly laugh out of this.