The Houston Texans know what they want in their sixth coach in franchise history: a younger mind.
The appeal of younger coaches is their fresh take on the game. However, there is one of the Texans’ coaching candidates that has an even more nuanced take on the game.
According to Joe Banner from the 33rd Team, Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has demonstrated the ability to question his own approach to the game and implement change. The example Banner uses is how Gannon augmented the Eagles’ defense to make it more attacking in 2022.
He’s become more aggressive, mixing in attacking schemes. Now, understand: That can mean he lines up six guys on the line of scrimmage and only rushes four. But at least he’s making the quarterback worry about what he’s doing, and the results speak for themselves: The Eagles led the league with 70 sacks this season, two short of the NFL record. He’s also shifting from zone to man-to-man more, making it hard to predict what happens next. So I see real growth.
He didn’t come to Philadelphia as someone totally consumed by analytics, but he’s had an open mind about it and it’s had an impact on how he thinks. When you have someone who is smart, a great leader and open-minded, you’ve checked really important boxes.
Banner was the Eagles’ team president from 1995-2012 and later the CEO for the Cleveland Browns from 2012-13. Banner also was a front office consultant for the Atlanta Falcons from 2014-15.
The Texans could use a coach who is willing to analyze his approach and make the changes necessary to succeed. At 40 years old, Gannon is young enough to grow with the job, which is where the Texans are at in their rebuilding process. Stale approaches from seasoned coaches is a syndrome the Texans have had a problem with going back to the mid-2010s.
