Texans Hire Bill O'Brien as Head Coach

[barrett]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

Part of the reason Houston sports continues to seem minor league is that they never hire top guys who have held the job before. O'Brien fits the trend. Dom Capers and Phil Garner were seemingly the exceptions to the rule but typically it's "first time NFL head coach" or "first time MLB manager". Really hard to expect champions from people who need their own learning curve.

Anyway, best of luck to "The Dimple" or (now that I've read the comments above) "The F---ing Dimple". Just don't talk like that around Mr. McNair.

And Happy New Year, everyone. May 2014 be a huge improvement over 2013, especially for Houston sports teams.

Like Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, Sean Payton, etc...

[HPF Bob]

Originally Posted by barrett

Like Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, Sean Payton, etc...

Ignoring, of course, the hundreds of first-time head coaches who didn't pan out. Tomlin, FWIW, inherited Bill Cowher's team and many of his coaches. Harbaugh inherited those veteran Raven defenders.

O'Brien might have hit the jackpot inheriting Kubiak's team and will get kudos for leading them back above .500 in the next year or two. The Texans aren't loaded but they have some Pro Bowlers on both sides of the ball.

I just find it odd how often my team's tell us they will leave no stone unturned bringing in the best available coach/manager only to have that person be somebody who has never before held a head job at the top level.

Well, you can't accuse McNair of being cheap, not when it costs $6.5 million just to get O'Brien back to the NFL.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

Ignoring, of course, the hundreds of first-time head coaches who didn't pan out. Tomlin, FWIW, inherited Bill Cowher's team and many of his coaches. Harbaugh inherited those veteran Raven defenders.

O'Brien might have hit the jackpot inheriting Kubiak's team and will get kudos for leading them back above .500 in the next year or two. The Texans aren't loaded but they have some Pro Bowlers on both sides of the ball.

I just find it odd how often my team's tell us they will leave no stone unturned bringing in the best available coach/manager only to have that person be somebody who has never before held a head job at the top level.

Well, you can't accuse McNair of being cheap, not when it costs $6.5 million just to get O'Brien back to the NFL.

If I am ignoring those hundreds of 1st time failures, are you ignoring the hundreds of retread failures?

You made a comment not based on any kind of fact and I mentioned off the top of my head 3 superbowl winning coaches in the past 10 years who had never been head coaches (and add Mike McCarthy after I just looked it up).

I just took the time to look up the 12 playoff coaches.

Fox, Bellachik, Reid, and Carrol are previous HCs.

Lewis, Pagano, Kelly, Mike McCoy, McCarthy, Rivera, Payton, and Harbaugh are all 1st time NFL HCs.

Nothing in recent NFL history says anything about retread coaches being better at winning than 1st timers. There is nothing minor league about hiring a 1st time NFL HC, and it is not hard to expect champions from 1st time guys.

[Keith]

O'Brien is a first time NFL head coach, but not a first time head coach... that was a key line item in McNair's wish list that ought to separate him from the early learning curves of Gary Kubiak.

O'Brien likely won't be easing his way into the role, getting guidance from guys like Mike Sherman the way Kubiak did. And hopefully he learned from what happened to Josh McDaniels in Denver too.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Keith

O'Brien is a first time NFL head coach, but not a first time head coach... that was a key line item in McNair's wish list that ought to separate him from the early learning curves of Gary Kubiak.

O'Brien likely won't be easing his way into the role, getting guidance from guys like Mike Sherman the way Kubiak did. And hopefully he learned from what happened to Josh McDaniels in Denver too.

I like the hire, but that is my one concern. McDaniels just wanted so badly to be the man in Denver and had such an ego, that he immediately went to work eliminating anyone who threatened his view of himself. He had to do it HIS way with HIS guys. And because of that, a guy who was a very good football mind was a very bad HC his first try.

O'Brien seems to be another Tyrant type (not necessarily a bad thing). I just hope he can work with the rest of the front office here, hire assistants that are more than yes men, and not dump talent simply because he didn't acquire it. It will break my heart if Watt goes because he "wouldn't get with the program in OTAs" or something dumb like that.

But overall, he was the most sought after candidate available (if you don't count guys who were not really available like Gruden), he is the offensive mind I was hoping for, and he will give this team some toughness.

[Nconroe]

So far I like the hire of O'Neil as HC and Hixon as WR coach.

Wish O.Neil and Texans the best going forward.

[HPF Bob]

Originally Posted by Nconroe

So far I like the hire of O'Neil as HC and Hixon as WR coach.

Wish O.Neil and Texans the best going forward.

He'll be a big upgrade from Kodiak.

[WMH]

Potential DC
@RapSheet: Still a bit early on Romeo Crennel and the Texans. There is some interest there, we'll see if Romeo wants to get back in. Still getting paid

[Arky]

New O'Brien video out - about 3 mins.

Talks about the QB selections in the draft. Says they don't know yet, what they will do.

So, I guess that is the one big remaining question - Do they go Bortles (or Teddy or Johnny) @ 1.1 or do they do Clowney @ 1.1 then Garoppolo (or another QB) @ 2.1?