HELP WANTED
What the Houston Texans coaching search will reveal about the organization's mindset
Jan 10, 2023, 12:58 pm
HELP WANTED
The Houston Texans are once again looking for a new head coach, the third under the tenure of general manager Nick Caserio.
In what has become a far too familiar process for the Texans, this year’s head coach search will reveal a lot about where the team’s frame of mind is.
Houston CEO Cal McNair and Caserio both spoke to reporters on Monday afternoon just hours removed from their decision to move on from head coach Lovie Smith. They spoke about where the team is and what the frame of mind is going forward.
We are live with Texans Chair and CEO Cal McNair + General Manager Nick Caserio. https://t.co/a0zCLfPUkv
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) January 9, 2023
One thing was made evident in Monday’s news conference — both McNair and Caserio realize the team is at a potential turning point with the plethora of draft capital, an improving cap space and the young talent already on the roster.
“We feel like there is a strong list of potential head coach candidates, and we are excited to work with them,” McNair said. “We are going to pick the best coach to take this team into our next future with significant draft capital, salary cap space and [a] talented, young roster.”
It’s the Caserio and McNair show now. They are running it all. Both acknowledged the owner will be more hands on in this search, and Caserio also said this time around the process will involve more input from people within the organization.
The Texans will have the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. In what will forever be the long-lasting impact of Smith’s tenure, leading Houston to a Week 18 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, which dropped the team out of holding the No. 1 pick. Caserio and whoever they bring in as the new head coach will be tasked with taking the cards they currently hold and turning it into a concrete foundation for years to come.
Regardless of what the Chicago Bears do with the No. 1 pick, the Texans are guaranteed the option to pick either Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud. They will also be in position to get almost any other player they want too if they opt to not take a quarterback.
2023 needs to be the year the Texans get their guy. The right guy.
“That is what we are fixated on doing,” Caserio said.
The clock is ticking. The general manager acknowledged it himself.
Caserio is entering year three with Houston. He inherited a debacle of a roster that was completely destroyed when Deshaun Watson said he wanted out.
Since then, Houston has fired David Culley and Smith after just one year at the helm. While neither were considered to be the long-term answers as the team’s leader, removing them after one year has only worsened the view of the team from the outside.
Caserio said the team constantly evaluates at the end of the season. There has not been enough progress made in multiple areas throughout the team, he added. Houston’s next leader will be tasked with prioritizing the players, creating a vision and being collaborative with all other departments around the organization, the general manager said.
The time for lame-duck coaches is over. How the Texans approach this search will say a lot about the team. With 11 total draft picks as of now, five of which are in the first three rounds, Houston’s ability to develop that young talent will be pivotal.
Houston cannot afford to have another Culley. The Texans cannot entertain a Josh McCown. It’s time to get the right guy.
If they do, the team might just turn a corner with a fan base that is desperate to have something, anything, to cheer for when it comes to its pro football team.
Nick Chubb didn’t expect to be a Houston Texan. At least, not until he got the call on a quiet Saturday at home and was on a flight the next day. It happened fast — too fast, even, for the four-time Pro Bowler to fully process what it all meant. But now that he’s here, it’s clear this wasn’t a random landing spot. This was a calculated leap, one Chubb had been quietly considering from afar.
The reasons he chose Houston speak volumes not only about where Chubb is in his own career, but where the Texans are as a franchise.
For one, Chubb saw what the rest of the league saw the last two seasons: a young team turning the corner. He admired the Texans from a distance — the culture shift under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the explosive rise of C.J. Stroud, and the physical tone set by players like Joe Mixon. That identity clicked with Chubb. He’d been a fan of Ryans for years, and once he got in the building, everything aligned.
“I came here and saw a bunch of guys who like to work and not talk,” Chubb said. “And I realized I'm a perfect fit.”
As for his health, Chubb isn’t running from the injuries that cost him parts of the past two seasons, he’s owning them. But now, he says, they’re behind him. After a full offseason of training the way he always has — hitting his speed and strength benchmarks — Chubb says he’s feeling the best he has in years. He’s quick to remind people that bouncing back from major injuries, especially the one he suffered in 2023, is rarely a one-year journey. It takes time. He’s given it time.
Then there’s his fit with Mixon. The two aren’t just stylistic complements, they go way back. Same recruiting class, same reputation for running hard, same respect for each other’s games. Chubb remembers dreading matchups against the Bengals in Cleveland, worrying Mixon would take over the game. Now, he sees the opportunity in pairing up. “It’ll be us kinda doing that back-to-back against other defenses,” he said.
He’s also well aware of what C.J. Stroud brings to the table. Chubb watched Stroud nearly dismantle Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Then he saw it again, up close, when Stroud lit up the Browns in the postseason. “He torched us again,” Chubb said. Now, he gets to run alongside him, not against him.
Stroud made a point to welcome Chubb, exchanging numbers and offering support. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s the kind of leadership that helped sell Chubb on the Texans as more than just a good football fit — it’s a good locker room fit, too.
It appears the decision to come to Houston wasn’t part of some master plan. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Chubb is a player with a no-nonsense work ethic, recovering from adversity, looking to write the next chapter of a career that’s far from over. And the Texans? They’re a team on the rise, built around guys who want to do the same.
You can watch the full interview in the video below.
And for those wondering how Joe Mixon feels about Nick Chubb, check out this video from last season. Let's just say he's a fan.
I’ve seen some speculation indicating that Joe Mixon may not be happy the Texans signed Nick Chubb. If that is what you believe, watch this clip from an interview with @greenlight pod last year & get back to me. pic.twitter.com/3vaip85esj
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) June 11, 2025
*ChatGPT assisted.
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