The Houston Texans have a coaching vacancy, and got a head start on looking for their fourth full-time coach in team history after firing Bill O’Brien on Oct. 5.
According to Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler from ESPN, one name to keep an eye on as the Texans conduct their coaching search is New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Because of interim general manager Jack Easterby’s ties to the Patriots organization, it seems logical that McDaniels would be a candidate for the job.
Former Patriots executive Jack Easterby, who ironically was brought into the Houston organization by O’Brien, has massive influence in that organization right now and is likely to direct both hires. That has fueled some speculation of a Nick Caserio/Josh McDaniels pairing in Houston, but McDaniels still carries some baggage from the Indianapolis fiasco of a couple of years ago.
McDaniels is a guy on whom you’d have to sell ownership if you wanted to hire him, which we aren’t even sure Easterby does. Easterby and McDaniels did have a relationship when in New England together, so the connection is worth watching. And winning with Cam Newton at quarterback the season after Tom Brady left would remind everybody why McDaniels is so well regarded as an offensive mind in the first place.
One problem with McDaniels is his past with the Denver Broncos. In 2009, he led the Broncos to a 6-0 start, even cheering wildly after beating the Patriots in overtime in Week 5. McDaniels couldn’t handle the success, and the Broncos slumped to an 8-8 finish. A year later, the Broncos would fire McDaniels after a 3-9 start and needing to film 1-6 San Francisco 49ers practices in London, which was one of the nine McDaniels-coached games Denver lost.
Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair has hired Jed Hughes to conduct the search for the next general manager. When the new general manager is in place, Houston needs to let that decision be left to the new front office boss, not old Patriots connections.