ESPN finished its all-2010s team for all eight NFL divisions, and Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien was named coach of the decade in the AFC South.
O’Brien, who has compiled a 52-44 record since 2014 with a 2-4 playoff mark, edged out former Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano, who led the Colts to an AFC Championship Game appearance in 2014.
Sarah Barshop, who covers the Texans for ESPN, explains why she chose O’Brien.
The division titles show why O’Brien was the best coach in the AFC South in the past decade. The Texans have won the division four times in the past five years. Although the Texans have won only two playoff games in that stretch — and every other team in the division has played in an AFC Championship Game since O’Brien was hired in Houston in 2014 — they still have consistently been the most successful team in the AFC South in the regular season. O’Brien faces criticism for his lack of playoff success and the job he has done in his first year as general manager, but as a head coach, he has played an important role in the Texans’ success.
The Texans had 10 players on the all-decade team, including RB Arian Foster, WRs Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins, LT Duane Brown, C Ben Jones, RG Wade Smith, DE J.J. Watt, OLB Jadeveon Clowney, CB Johnathan Joseph, and P Shane Lechler.
Watt was selected as the top Texans player of the decade. Hopkins was a runner-up. A large part of Watt’s earning the honor was his winning three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, which are tied with Lawrence Taylor for the most in NFL history.
The Colts and Titans, who both got to claim Johnson for his tenures with each team, tied for the second-most selections with seven. The Jacksonville Jaguars had the fewest selections with three.