HOUSTON — For the last three seasons, the Houston Texans organization has taken some significant hits in the court of public opinion.
First, it was Bill O’Brien, the former coach and general manager calamity involving the trade of DeAndre Hopkins, one of the most productive wide receivers behind Andre Johnson in franchise history. O’Brien sent him to the Arizona Cardinals for a bag of peanuts and popcorn.
Okay.
It was for David Johnson and two picks, but you get my point.
After the Texans fired O’Brien, the next in line to help ruin the organization was former executive vice president of football operations, Jack Easterby, who, along with O’Brien, came from a New England Patriots system that was hailed “Patriots Way.”
We would later find out that the only “Way” was in whichever direction former quarterback Tom Brady threw the ball.
I digress.
The Easterby saga
Easterby was brought to the Texans organization after O’Brien vouched for him. In hindsight, O’Brien should have saved that reference and left Easterby in New England, as it would end up costing him his job.
With the former chaplin turned football executive now in total control as interim general manager, he finally had the power he was searching for as he started his career in the NFL.
He believed that if he did an excellent job as the interim, chairman and CEO Cal McNair would give him the job full-time.
A lot can be said about McNair and some of his decisions since taking control of the team after his father, Bob, passed away. Yet, standing behind him is a powerful woman in his wife, Hannah. She saw right through Easterby and his shenanigans.
Word had gotten back to her and her husband about how sneaky and devious he was when it came to the front office and players, which only added to the power-hungry motives he had to be seen as a significant player amongst his NFL peers.
Quarterback controversy
While the McNair’s were dealing with Easterby, another blemish that turned into a colossal stain also occurred with their disgruntled franchise quarterback.
The reigning NFL passing champion was unhappy with how the organization had gone about hiring new general manager Nick Caserio, another former Patriot employee, and coach David Culley.
This longtime NFL assistant was getting his first coaching job late in his career. McNair had promised his quarterback he would be a voice they would consider when making those decisions.
The former Clemson standout was adamant that he did not want to play for the organization in 2021 and demanded a trade. Most saw this as a problem the Texans needed to fix quickly, as you cannot have a three-time Pro Bowler and untapped potential leave the team.
Little did everyone know that the Texans’ face of the franchise had a secret life that gripped the sports world and put his trade request on the back burner.
The former 2017 first-round pick would sit out an entire year as he went through his legal battles and would eventually be traded to the Cleveland Browns.
Coaching chaos
The Texans also fired Culley after the season due to organizational disagreements with his coaching philosophy. But let’s be honest. Culley was fired because he only won four games and, for the most part, looked lost on the sidelines during games.
Houston looked as if it was going to get the team back on track by hiring former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. A proven coach who had helped turn the Dolphins program around but was not in the future plans for the team.
That all went down the drain when Flores filed a discrimination lawsuit against the NFL for its hiring practices regarding African Americans getting jobs as coaches. The Texans could not afford another public relations hit, so they decided to go with defensive coordinator Lovie Smith.
What Houston thought they were getting by hiring the former 2005 NFL Coach of the Year, who led the Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl at the end of the 2006 season, was someone who would plug the holes in the boat of inadequacies. But they got a man who was stuck in his ways and resistant to change.
Even though Smith had served as a head coach on numerous occasions in the college and NFL ranks, the team looked worse than it did under Culley, as Smith produced a 3-13-1 record on the season. Which equated to one less win than Culley the year prior.
Smith was fired after the Texans defeated the Indianapolis Colts in the last game of the season, costing Houston the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
His firing and the organization’s termination of Easterby in October set the tone for general manager Caserio that the clock was also ticking on his job as the McNair’s were no longer going to continue to be considered the most dysfunctional team around the league.
During the press conference to discuss Smith’s termination, Caserio let it be known that the next head coach would not be another one-and-done coach.
Sitting front and center inside the team auditorium were the McNair’s intently listening to every word Caserio spoke and every question the media asked. By the look on Mrs. McNair’s face, you could tell she was exhausted from the last three years of watching what the organization and the family had gone through.
After the press conference was complete, they stuck around to make sure that the media knew that this time around that, they would be more involved in the decision on the next coach.
They conveyed to reporters as they purposefully looked each one in the eyes as they engaged in conversation with them that the next hire would help rebuild the franchise and put the Texans back into the postseason. They would get the right guy this time. They guaranteed it.
The end at last
Most individuals will tell you that nothing in life is guaranteed, so when certain media members heard the comments, they figured it was just lip service, primarily based on the track record of the last two hires.
Yes, we heard the names of the candidates out there, but some of those names were floating around the previous year during the interviewing process. They had been passed over and put behind individuals such as Josh McCown, who had no NFL coaching experience. Out of nowhere, Smith became the leading candidate and eventually secured the position.
How could the media and fans believe that Cal, Hannah, and Nick would make the right decision this time? It would take a big-name coach being heavily sought after to make up for the last three years of dysfunction that plagued the Texans.
On Jan. 31, the trio made good on their promise by hiring former Texans linebacker and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as their sixth full-time coach in team history.
“We are thrilled to welcome DeMeco Ryans as the new head coach of the Houston Texans,” said McNair in a written statement. “For so many reasons, DeMeco is everything we are looking for in a leader and coach for our organization. He has a proven track record for developing high-quality players and constantly innovated his defensive scheme over the last six seasons in San Francisco.”
“We started this process with the goal of finding someone our fans and city can be proud of and we’ve done just that. While we received a lot of incredible feedback and support for DeMeco from different people, it was our discussions with him and his vision for our football team that made him the right coach to lead us as we continue to evolve as an organization. Congratulations to DeMeco and his family, and welcome back to H-Town.”
This was the right hire.
This is what the fans wanted.
Ryans is what the organization needed to bring credibility back to the Texans.
He is a former player who has had significant success in coaching and has been praised by current and former players around the league. Ryans is still called “Cap,” an abbreviated nickname for “Captain,” as he was referred to during his time with the Texans.
“Being the head coach of the Houston Texans is my dream job, and my family is thrilled to be back in H-Town,” Ryans said. “I have been around the game of football my entire life, and I’ve always had a natural ability to lead others. I know what it takes to win and be successful in this league as both a player and coach. We’re going to build a program filled with players who have a special work ethic and relentless mindset. I understand the responsibility I have to this organization and to the fans of Houston to build a winner and I can’t wait to get to work.”
No matter what criticism anyone has about the McNair’s decision-making in the past, they got the job done this time. So, the next time you see them around town at a charity event, Rockets game, Astros game, or even a Texans home game.
Just throw up “The H” as a sign of your appreciation.
