It's official. Bill O'Brien is out as the head coach of the Houston Texans. While such a decision came just a quarter of the way through the 2020-21 regular season, it still feels as though this was a move that was a long time coming — especially after the most recent offseason that the Texans had.
With the Texans currently sporting the highest payroll in the entire NFL while most recently firing O'Brien, who was serving as the team's head coach and general manager, Houston no doubt owns the most unstable franchise in the league at the present moment. Presumably becoming the beginning of the end for O'Brien, the longtime Texans head coach infamously traded away All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals while the Miami Dolphins now own Houston's first and second round NFL Draft picks in 2021.
Thankfully, whoever steps into this role next will have quarterback Deshaun Watson under center as O'Brien somehow managed to retain the superstar signal caller on a long-term basis before ultimately being fired on Monday. Even though Watson is about the only thing that the Texans have going for them as the team will begin its search for a new leader along the sideline, NFL head coaching jobs remaining highly coveted as there will still be more than a few qualified candidates for the struggling AFC South franchise to choose from.
Although Houston is definitely not one of the more endearing destinations for NFL head coach candidates dude to the current status of the franchise, there are still three candidates in particular that the Texans absolutely must take a look at moving forward.
Eric Bieniemy, Kansas City Chiefs (Offensive Coordinator)
With lengthy stints both at the professional and collegiate levels on a variety of different levels, it is now inevitable that Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy becomes a NFL head coach in the very near future. In fact, it is quite surprising that Bieniemy isn't a NFL head coach already while whatever team eventually lands him is going to be very lucky to secure his services at this point in his career. A Super Bowl Champion from a season ago while still assisting Chiefs head coach Andy Reid with one of the most prolific offenses of all time, Bieniemy is more than ready to become a NFL head coach while he will surely be at the top of more than a few lists this offseason. If the Texans are going to have any shot at adding Bieniemy to the mix down in Houston, the organization will need to make it known that he is and always has been the team's top priority. A member of the Chiefs organization since back in 2013 as a running backs coach, Bieniemy is no doubt the best possible candidate for the Texans or any other team from around the league as a result of the latest cycle of the seemingly never-ending NFL head coaching carousel.
Josh McDaniels, New England Patriots (Offensive Coordinator)
It remains to be seen as to whether or not longtime New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will leave the AFC East for a second time en route to becoming a NFL head coach. After a brief stint at the helm for the Denver Broncos, McDaniels eventually made his way back to New England as he continues to presumably operate as the head coach in waiting under future Pro Football Hall of Famer Bill Belichick. McDaniels is seemingly a top head coaching candidate every offseason as he most recently spurned the Indianapolis Colts a few years back to stick with Belichick in New England. Because McDaniels always seems to waver in regards to his desire to become a head coach outside of New England, it always remains possible that he does ultimately sit tight until Belichick retires. No doubt slated to receive some interest from the Houston Texans one way or another as the team begins its search for a new head coach, McDaniels does have a connection to the AFC South franchise, which may boost his candidacy. Texans executive vice president of Football operations Jack Easterby will be heading the search while he and McDaniels are apparently very close, something that links these two sides together right off the bat. Even without the connection between Easterby and McDaniels, the Patriots offensive coordinator and Super Bowl Champion would still more than likely be in the mix as he always appears to be these days.
Arthur Smith, Tennessee Titans (Offensive Coordinator)
Despite the fact that Arthur Smith is currently in the midst of just his second season as the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans, it now appears as though it is only a matter of time before he becomes a NFL head coach. While Smith may have a season or two left in Tennessee before he truly becomes a top-notch NFL head coaching candidate, perhaps the Houston Texans can kill two birds with one stone by getting a jump at taking a chance on the up-and-comer in addition to stealing his services away from a divisional rival sooner rather than later. Smith's work with former Miami Dolphins and current Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, alongside the production of Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry, initially led to Smith's arrival on the scene on a national level toward the end of last season. With the Titans now a perfect 3-0 to begin the 2020-21 campaign after a run through the postseason in 2019-20, Smith's name has only been tossed around even more in NFL circles. It is also worth noting that Smith has spent quite some time in Tennessee while only recently becoming the team's offensive coordinator due to the departure of current Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. Aside from serving as divisonal foes and both originating in the city of Houston, the Texans and Titans have a lot in common as Tennessee head coach Mike Vrabel was previously the defensive coordinator in Houston. If Smith were to land in Houston, these two AFC South franchises, each heading in a very different direction at the moment, would somehow have even more similarities.
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