Bill O’Brien To Return As Texans Head Coach
Although rumors have swirled indicating that Bill O’Brien and the Texans could part ways this offseason, O’Brien today said he will return to coach the team in 2017, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, who adds that O’Brien is likely to publicly address the issue following tonight’s playoff game against the Patriots.
[RELATED: Houston Texans Depth Chart]
O’Brien has reportedly experienced a tense relationship with general manager Rick Smith, while O’Brien’s lack of confidence in starting quarterback Brock Osweiler could have also been a factor a potential breakup. Texans owner Bob McNair was adamant that he would not fire O’Brien, who will now head into the fourth season of a five-year contract, so the decision to leave would have been O’Brien’s alone. In three seasons with Houston, O’Brien has posted three consecutive 9-7 records while leading the club to two straight AFC South titles.
With the O’Brien situation resolved, the Texans’ next order of business is re-signing defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, whose contract expires at season’s end, tweets McClain. Houston’s defense finished first in yards allowed and seventh in DVOA, so the club is likely highly interested in keeping Crennel around.
2017 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Tracker
While at least six NFL teams are making head coaching changes this offseason, the number of clubs replacing offensive and/or defensive coordinators figures to be much higher than that. In addition to all those teams hiring new head coaches, who may want to bring in their own assistants, several clubs also figure to make changes on one side of the ball or the other after getting disappointing results in 2016. And, of course, the teams whose coordinators landed head coaching jobs will need to replace them.
With reports circulating on potential candidates, interview requests, and actual meetings, we’ll use the space below to keep tabs on all the latest updates on teams hiring new offensive and/or defensive coordinators. This post, which will be updated daily, can be found under the “PFR Features” menu on the right-hand side of the site.
Updated 2-13-17 (2:30pm CT)
Offensive Coordinators
Atlanta Falcons (Out: Kyle Shanahan)
- Steve Sarkisian, offensive assistant coach (Alabama): Hired
- Chip Kelly, former head coach (49ers): Falcons have expressed interest
- Matt LaFleur, quarterbacks coach (Falcons): Viewed as candidate
- Mike McDaniel, offensive assistant (Falcons): Viewed as candidate
Buffalo Bills (Out: Anthony Lynn)
- Rick Dennison, former offensive coordinator (Broncos): Hired
- Brad Childress, co-offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Viewed as a top candidate; out of running?
- Ken Dorsey, quarterbacks coach (Panthers): Interviewed
- Greg Olson, former offensive coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed
- Mike McCoy, former head coach (Chargers): Viewed as likely choice
Denver Broncos (Out: Rick Dennison)
- Mike McCoy, former head coach (Chargers): Hired
- Bill Musgrave, former offensive coordinator (Raiders): Interviewed; named QBs coach
Houston Texans (HC Bill O’Brien will call plays, replacing George Godsey)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Nathaniel Hackett, interim offensive coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
- Chip Kelly, former head coach (49ers): Interviewed
Los Angeles Rams (Out: Rob Boras)
- Matt LaFleur, quarterbacks coach (Falcons): Hired
- Bill Callahan, offensive line coach (Redskins): Mentioned as possible candidate
- Chris Foerster, offensive line coach (Dolphins): Interview requested, permission denied
New York Jets (Out: Chan Gailey)
- John Morton, wide receivers coach (Saints): Hired
- George Godsey, former offensive coordinator (Texans): Could interview
- Matt Nagy, co-offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Mentioned as possible candidate
- John DeFilippo, quarterbacks coach (Eagles): Interview requested, permission denied
- Mike McCoy, former head coach (Chargers): Mentioned as possible candidate
- Eric Studesville, Running backs coach (Broncos): Interviewed, withdrew from consideration
Oakland Raiders (Hired/Promoted: Todd Downing, replacing Bill Musgrave)
Washington Redskins (Hired/Promoted: Matt Cavanaugh, replacing Sean McVay)
Defensive Coordinators
Atlanta Falcons (Out: Richard Smith)
- Marquand Manuel, secondary coach (Falcons): Hired
- Jerome Henderson, pass game coordinator (Falcons): Mentioned as candidate
- Raheem Morris, wide receivers coach (Falcons): Mentioned as candidate
- Jeff Ulbrich, linebackers coach (Falcons): Mentioned as candidate
Buffalo Bills
- Leslie Frazier, defensive backs coach (Ravens): Hired
- Al Holcomb, linebackers coach (Panthers): Viewed as frontrunner
Carolina Panthers (Hired/Promoted Steve Wilks, replacing Sean McDermott)
Cleveland Browns (Hired: Gregg Williams, replacing Ray Horton)
- Wade Phillips, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Contacted about job
Denver Broncos (Out: Wade Phillips)
- Joe Woods, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Hired
- Reggie Herring, linebackers coach (Broncos): To be interviewed
Houston Texans (Hired/Promoted Mike Vrabel, replacing Romeo Crennel, who was named assistant head coach)
Los Angeles Chargers (Out: John Pagano)
- Gus Bradley, former head coach (Jaguars): Hired
- Ron Milus, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Would have been hired if Bradley went elsewhere
Los Angeles Rams (Out: Gregg Williams)
- Wade Phillips, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Hired
Miami Dolphins (Hired/Promoted: Matt Burke, replacing Vance Joseph)
San Francisco 49ers (Hired: Robert Saleh, Out: Jim O’Neil)
- Robert Saleh, former linebackers coach (Jaguars): Hired
- Brian Flores, linebackers coach (Patriots): Mentioned as candidate
- Jerome Henderson, pass game coordinator (Falcons): Interviewed
- Vic Fangio, defensive coordinator (Bears): Expressed interest, move blocked by Bears
- Gus Bradley, former head coach (Jaguars): Mentioned as candidate
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Signed Mike Smith to extension; Smith withdrew name from Chargers’ HC search)
Washington Redskins (Out: Joe Barry)
- Greg Manusky, outside linebackers coach (Redskins): Hired
- John Pagano, defensive coordinator (Chargers): To be interviewed
- Mike Pettine, former head coach (Browns): Interviewed
- Rob Ryan, former assistant head coach/defense (Bills): Interviewed
- Jason Tarver, linebackers coach (49ers): To be interviewed
- Dennis Thurman, former defensive coordinator (Bills): To be interviewed
- Gus Bradley, former head coach (Jaguars): Hired by Chargers
- Romeo Crennel, assistant head coach (Texans): Denied permission to interview
- Paul Guenther, defensive coordinator (Bengals): Denied permission to interveiew
- Steve Wilks, AHC/DB coach (Panthers): Interview requested, promoted by Panthers
Rams Get OK To Interview Texans’ Mike Vrabel
Could Mike Vrabel make the leap from linebackers coach to head coach? The Rams asked for – and received – permission to interview the Texans assistant, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter). The Rams plan to interview Vrabel after the Texans’ game against the Patriots this weekend. 
Last year, the 49ers tried to bring Vrabel aboard as their defensive coordinator, but he turned the gig down. One year later, the hype around Vrabel is still strong, but it is surprising to hear him as (ostensibly) a head coaching consideration. With six years of coaching experience, but none as coordinator, it would be a remarkably bold move for Los Angeles to hire him for the lead role right now.
Vrabel appears to be a longshot for the Rams’ HC job, but with a strong interview it is possible that team brass could keep him in mind for the defensive coordinator role once a head coach is hired. Of course, he turned down a DC job in California one year ago and there’s no guarantee that he’s ready to leave the Texans now.
For a full rundown of every team’s coaching search, check out PFR’s 2017 Head Coaching Search Tracker.
Bill O'Brien Unhappy With Texans?
- Just because Texans owner Bob McNair declared he wouldn’t fire Bill O’Brien doesn’t necessarily mean the coach will be back for a fourth year, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reporting O’Brien may decide to leave on his own accord. Sources informed Florio that O’Brien is unhappy with the Texans more so than the team being dissatisfied with his performance. Friction with GM Rick Smith again appears to be at the root of this, but Florio notes the team continues to maintain the parties don’t have to like each other but only need to work together. “I have a five-year contract here. I have two years left on my contract. I’m looking forward to coaching here, and I’m looking forward to getting ready for this next game,” O’Brien said after today’s wild-card win (via James Palmer of NFL.com, on Twitter).
Texans, Bill O’Brien Could Part After Season
SATURDAY, 7:44pm: Texans owner Bob McNair said O’Brien will be back next season, via Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com (on Twitter). “I’m not going to fire him,” McNair said (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, on Twitter) after the Texans’ 27-14 wild-card win over the Raiders.
The 49ers, however, were intrigued by the possibility O’Brien could have been a late-arriving coaching free agent, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports tweets.
SATURDAY, 8:15am: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that several teams with head coaching vacancies are waiting to see how everything will play out in Houston before they make a hire. If O’Brien is fired, Rapoport notes that he “may soar to the top of the list” for many teams.
THURSDAY, 4:52pm: Although the Texans just reeled off their third straight nine-victory regular season and second consecutive AFC South-winning campaign under head coach Bill O’Brien, his job is in jeopardy, reports CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora. O’Brien is currently preparing for a wild-card round showdown with the Raiders, which could be his last game with Houston if the team loses. Even a win over the banged-up Raiders wouldn’t necessarily save O’Brien, suggests La Canfora.
O’Brien’s problems with the Texans are related to a less-than-ideal relationship with general manager Rick Smith and an unenthusiastic view of quarterback Brock Osweiler, per La Canfora. The Texans guaranteed Osweiler, an ex-Denver backup, $37MM last offseason, but the 6-foot-8 signal-caller has been a colossal disappointment thus far.
Osweiler was among the league’s worst starters throughout the regular season, leading O’Brien to bench him in favor of Tom Savage toward the end of the year. Savage suffered a concussion in Week 17 and won’t be available against the Raiders, meaning O’Brien’s fate is back in the beleaguered Osweiler’s hands. The Texans will likely be stuck with Osweiler in 2017, too, as the team would incur $25MM in dead money by releasing him this offseason.
In the event the Texans do move on from O’Brien within the next couple weeks, it could significantly impact coaching searches around the league. The 47-year-old O’Brien is a proven commodity, having succeeded in leading roles with both Penn State and the Texans, and the offensive mind would surely draw interest from teams with head coaching vacancies if he were to hit the market. Of course, with the Texans joining the hunt for other candidates, it would also lead to an increase in clubs searching for head coaches. Both Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, an ex-Texans assistant, and former Chargers head coach Mike McCoy would be names to watch, according to La Canfora.
Brock Osweiler To Start Next Week
There won’t be any speculation about the Texans turning back to Tom Savage for their divisional-round date against either the Patriots or Chiefs. Houston will stick with Brock Osweiler next weekend, Bill O’Brien said postgame (via Mark Berman of Fox 26, on Twitter), halting a potential quarterback controversy on the heels of the Texans’ first playoff win in four years.
Osweiler lost his job late in the regular season to Savage but was summoned back into duty after the younger backup suffered a concussion in Week 17. The maligned free agent signing received his first playoff start today and completed 14-of-25 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown while rushing for another in the Texans’ 27-14 win.
Savage stepped in initially for the slumping Osweiler and gave the Texans a spark during their Week 15 and Week 16 victories over the Jaguars and Bengals, helping the franchise secure its second straight AFC South title. He threw for 260 yards against the Jags but hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass this season and remained in concussion protocol leading up to Houston’s wild-card game. Had the third-year passer not encountered concussion trouble, he likely would have been the starter against Oakland.
Instead, the quarterback who has been benched late in each of the past two regular seasons will make his another playoff start and continue an attempt to live up to the four-year, $72MM deal he signed this offseason.
Tom Savage Out For Wild-Card Round
- Unlike Joseph, Texans quarterback Tom Savage won’t be available this weekend, relays Palmer (Twitter link). Savage suffered a concussion last Sunday, thereby reopening the door for Brock Osweiler to start, but there was hope that Savage would be OK to serve as a backup. That won’t be the case, though, and the Texans will have to turn to Brandon Weeden as their No. 2 option.
Brock Osweiler To Start For Texans
Brock Osweiler will start at quarterback for the Texans in Saturday’s playoff game against the Raiders, coach Bill O’Brien announced. If Tom Savage clears concussion protocol, he’ll serve as the team’s backup. It was widely expected that Osweiler would get the start after Savage suffered a significant blow to the head.
[RELATED: A.J. Bouye Generating Buzz As Looming UFA]
Signed to a $72MM deal this offseason, Osweiler was expected to flourish as a full-time starter. Instead, he was inconsistent at best and putrid at his worst, leading the team to make a quarterback change late in the season. Savage might not be a superstar, but he was playing much better than Osweiler in his limited sample. After suffering a concussion, the Texans really had no choice but to revert to Osweiler this weekend.
After taking over in the regular season finale, Osweiler completed 21-of-40 passes for 253 yards and a passing touchdown with no interceptions. He also added a rushing touchdown from one yard out.
A.J. Bouye Generating Buzz As Looming UFA
Entering this season as a relative unknown, Texans fourth-year corner A.J. Bouye may have moved himself in position to sign a lucrative NFL contract for the first time. A UDFA in 2013 that started just eight games total before 2016, Bouye has stood out on a team that made far bigger investments at corner. A deal for Bouye could cost a team as much as $8MM-per-year in 2017, the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson notes.
The Texans have two corners who stand to make more than $7MM next season in Kareem Jackson and Johnathan Joseph. Separating from Jackson would be more difficult financially than Joseph if Houston wished to retain Bouye since $4.5MM in dead money would match the amount the team could save by making that move. Houston stands to have $17MM-plus in cap space prior to making any offseason moves.
Texans Audition Mitchell White
- The Texans met with cornerback Mitchell White, who has spent the past three years in the Canadian Football League, according to Caplan (Twitter link).