The Houston Texans have fired head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien after an 0-4 start to the 2020 season.
What We Know:
- The McNair family, who owns the Texans, fired O’Brien after another loss to the Vikings on Sunday, bringing their record to 0-4. O’Brien was hired as head coach in 2014 and spent seven seasons with the team.
- O’Brien and the Texans have had a 52-48 record since 2014. The team has won four division titles and had a great 2019 season. The team has never made the AFC Championship Game, but 2019 was their closest shot. The team went 10-6 in the regular season and led the Kansas City Chiefs 24-0 in the divisional round game. They allowed the comeback and lost 51-31, missing out on the AFC Championship Game again. The Chiefs went on to win the Super Bowl.
- O’Brien joined the front office in 2019 and officially became GM in January. He made a number of questionable moves, including trading away stars Jadeveon Clowney and DeAndre Hopkins. The Hopkins trade turned out especially poorly because they traded for running back David Johnson. Johnson currently ranks 37th in yards per rush, whereas Hopkins leads the NFL in catches.
- O’Brien responded to the firing by acknowledging how the Texans have fallen short and expressing belief in the team. “We did a lot of good things here, but we didn’t do enough. We didn’t bring a Super Bowl to Houston, which I believe eventually someone will. I think this is a championship team that needs to get things turned around right now, but I believe in this team,” he said.
The Texans are clearly in a bad spot right now and it might be too late to turn things around this season. With that being said, Houston still has JJ Watt and Deshaun Watson. There’s potential for future success if those two decide to stay with the team.
