After a meandering search, the Houston Texans will make David Culley their next head coach. The choice of head coach has apparently done nothing to quell the discontent of Deshaun Watson, as was first reported by ESPN’s Chris Mortensen before a hire was made. Watson’s trade request has now gone public, and there will be plenty of suitors.
Culley is well-regarded around the NFL, with 27 seasons as an assistant at various stops. So it’s not a question of being qualified or deserving of the opportunity. But the Texans’ job will be his first head coaching job. In the broad sense of likely trading Watson and having a rebuild start with little draft capital and cap space, pending a Watson deal or other moves, I had an immediate thought.
How long will Culley last in the job?
Turns out, in some twisted, broader sense of the Texans’ plan, my thought was on the right track.
Via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk:
“Multiple league sources believe that the Texans will keep Culley in place for a couple of years, and that he will then “retire” and be replaced by McCown.”
“McCown is expected to become the quarterbacks coach on Culley’s staff. Eventually, McCown could become the offensive coordinator. The thinking is that, in time, he’ll become the head coach.”
“It’s believed to be part of the broader structure that executive V.P. of football operations Jack Easterby is installing. Easterby wanted Nick Caserio to be the G.M., and Easterby got him. Easterby wants McCown to be the head coach, and Easterby will get him, eventually.”
The Texans want Josh McCown to be head coach?
However randomly, the Texans interviewed Josh McCown for their head coaching job. He ended the season with them after being signed off the Eagles practice squad, so he was sort of an internal candidate as his playing career comes to an end. McCown is expected to be on Culley’s staff as the quarterbacks coach, and perhaps he’ll eventually be the offensive coordinator. And then, the head coach?
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero has reported the Texans and Culley have agreed to a five-year contract. So there’s that, for what it’s worth, if we want to talk about Culley as a possible short-timer.
Jack Easterby is not at all qualified to do anything with football operations. But he has the ear of the most important person in the Texans’ room, owner Cal McNair. So whatever his plan is will go on until further notice, and be open to easy criticism as we all on the outside go “What the (insert expletive) are they doing?”
It’s not a knock on McCown, who probably has a future in coaching if he wants it. But if the Texans are trying to pave a path for him to be their head coach, with Culley as a bridge, that’s flat-out ridiculous. Then again, this is an organization that traded DeAndre Hopkins, is going to trade Watson and mostly botched a head coaching search. So what else do you expect?
