#Texans coach Bill O'Brien says Tim Kelly is an excellent football coach. Says he has a great relationship. Kelly will also coach the quarterbacks. pic.twitter.com/u22dJwZHJR
— Mark Lane (@therealmarklane) February 25, 2020
Houston Texans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly will take over the play-calling duties from coach Bill O’Brien in the 2020 season.
O’Brien met with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and said the second-year offensive coordinator will call the plays.
Kelly, who has worked previously with the tight ends since he joined the Texans’ staff in 2014, will also work with the quarterbacks, even though Carl Smith is still the quarterbacks coach.
“Very hardworking guy, guy that really cares, the players really respect him,” O’Brien said. “He does a great job in the meeting room and on the practice field, does a great job on game day. He’s just an excellent coach. We have a great relationship. He’s a great person, and we’re excited for him to take the next step in his career here.”
Kelly was grafted onto the O’Brien coaching tree in 2012 as a graduate assistant. The Eastern Illinois alumnus spent two seasons with the Nittany Lions before joining O’Brien in Houston to take over a Texans squad that finished 2-14 in 2013. From there, Kelly was an offensive quality control coach his first two seasons and an assistant offensive line coach in 2016. In 2017-18, Kelly worked with the tight ends before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2019.
“He’ll call the plays,” said O’Brien. “He’ll do an excellent job.”
With Kelly as play-caller, it is the second time since O’Brien took over that he has relinquished such duties. The first instance was in 2015 when he handed over play-calling to offensive coordinator George Godsey, who was an offensive assistant for the New England Patriots in 2011 when O’Brien was the offensive coordinator.
Godsey was a part of the Belichick coaching tree, like O’Brien, not a fully groomed product like Kelly, who has spent his entire NFL career under O’Brien.
The Texans finished 2019 14th with 23.6 points per game and tied with the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams as the 11th-best in total offense.