5 head coach candidates the Texans should consider to replace David Culley

By Tyler Tyre, Sports Editor
Posted 1/25/22

The next Texans head coaching hire might be the most important in the history of the franchise. The team is in a terrible spot, with arguably the worst roster in the NFL and there are questions any candidate will have about the management of the team.

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5 head coach candidates the Texans should consider to replace David Culley

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The next Texans head coaching hire might be the most important in the history of the franchise. The team is in a terrible spot, with arguably the worst roster in the NFL and there are questions any head coaching candidate will have about the management of Nick Caserio, Jack Easterby and the ownership under the McNair’s.

All of this is to say that the Texans must get their next head coach decision right. Many fans have lost faith in the McNair’s and the front office and coaching cantidates have become wary of the way things are run in the organization. We’ve already seen Dan Quinn pass up a head coach interview with Jacksonville this season, the Texans are dangerously close to having cantidates do the same in future situations.

With that being said, here are five candidates I believe the Texans should consider as their next head coach.

Brian Flores, former head coach/Miami Dolphins

Texans General Manager Nick Caserio was a longtime Patriots executive before joining the Texans so we should assume he will interview coaches from his former organization.

Flores coached in New England for 15 years, rising from a scouting assistant all the way to earning playcalling duties before the became the head coach of the Dolphins. He went 24-25 over his three years as head coach in Miami but the team made great strides in 2021, winning eight of their last nine games and narrowly missing out on the playoffs. He is a strong defensive mind and built a defense that was 10th in DVOA this season. He would know what to expect dealing with Caserio.

There are negatives with Flores — he fired many of his assistants and there was a power stuggle in Miami between Flores and Chris Grier over control of the roster among other things, but he would be a terrific hire in my eyes.

Eric Bieniemy, Offensive Coordinator/Kansas City Chiefs

Eric Bieniemy has helped build the top offense in the league and helped develop Patrick Mahomes into an MVP quarterback, yet inexplicably the Chiefs Offensive Coordinator has not been hired as a head coach.

The Texans were the lone team with a head coach opening to not interview Bieniemy and they should not make that mistake again this offseason. Bieniemy would be my top pick as Texans head coach. He comes from a very good culture and has learned from a great coach in Andy Reid and he has helped develop arguably the best quarterback in the NFL in Patrick Mahomes. That experience would be invaluable in Houston, where he have to build a culture from scratch and help develop Davis Mills, who has shown promise, but still needs time to develop and reach the next level.

Byron Leftwich, Offensive Coordinator/Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Byron Leftwich has proven over the past few seasons that he should be a top candidate for a head coaching vacancy. In 2019, Leftwich coordinated an offensive attack that had Jameis Winston lead the NFL in passing yards and since the Buccaneers added Tom Brady, Tampa Bay has become one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL. Even with an array of injuries this year, the Tampa Bay pass and run game has been very strong, and the Texans need a coach that will help with the a run game that has been one of the worst in the NFL over the past two seasons.

Brian Daboll, Offensive Coordinator/Buffalo Bills

The Texans need someone that can help develop Davis Mills and one of the top names on the list if you are looking for a coach who can develop quarterbacks, is Brian Daboll. When the Bills drafted Josh Allen, they knew he was talented, but he came with lots of question marks when it came to his development and what he could become. Allen came into the Bills organization extremely raw, had accuracy issues, issues with staying on plane with his throws and issues with trying to run to frequently.

Daboll has turned helped turn Allen into an MVP player and someone who is one of the most feared quarterbacks in the entire NFL and has also coordinated a Bills offense that has had success on the ground. Someone like that would be perfect to pair with a still developing Mills.

Jerod Mayo/Inside Linebackers Coach/New England Patriots

During Nick Caserio’s press conference after David Culley’s firing, the Texans General Manager heaped praise on the Pittsburgh Steelers organization and their ability to identify coaches. He talked about how they took an in-depth approach to their last head coaching search to find a young Mike Tomlin, who had been a defensive coordinator for only one season with the Minnesota Vikings to that point. If that is the direction Caserio and the Texans decide to go, don’t be surprised if Jerod Mayo is in the discussion as the next head coach. The Patriots' inside linebackers coach is only 35 and technically isn’t a coordinator, but earned an interview last year for the Philadelphia Eagles head coaching vacancy and is thought of as a great mind around the league.

The Texans are committed to building from the ground up, and Mayo would be a choice that could work out in the long run as it would give him time to develop as a head coach as the roster is built over the next few years as well.

Houston Texans, NFL, football, sports, Texas, David Culley, head coach, Eric Bieniemy