Houston Texans Hire Karl Dorrell as New QB Coach

In my post from last weekI had hinted at the idea of Karl Dorrell interviewing for the Houston Texans QB Coach position. Dorrell, it appears, seemed to have liked the idea too!

Texans Head Coach, Gary Kubiak, could not stop speaking praises about the hiring of Dorrell. In fact, Dorrell walked into the Texans office, signed his contract, and began working immediately. Coach Kubiak coined it an “instant fit” for Dorrell and the Texans organization. That alone says alot coming from a QB-minded head coach. Especially for one who is so nit-picky with his choices for leadership on the offensive side of the ball.

"My first thought when I’m hiring somebody at that position is with Matt…I know their personalities will mesh easily. They’re both grinders on football, so they’ll be very compatible from that standpoint."

So, apparently, Coach Kubiak hired Dorrell for his ability to work with Texans QB Matt Schaub and for his work ethic. What I will be more interested to see, however, is how he transforms QB T.J. Yates.

Yates has, for all intents and purposes, become something of a legend in Texans circles. Coming off of the bench in the 2011-12 season to pick up where Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart had left off was to be no easy task for him. However, Yates not only rose to the occasion but also helped carry the Texans to their first ever playoff appearance.

Along the way he made mistakes, as any rookie would, but the poise and discipline that he showed was amazing. He had great pocket presence, a tremendous touch on the ball, and was not afraid to scramble when the opportunity presented itself.

I know that Matt Schaub will continue to be the Texans’ QB for the foreseeable future but Yates could be next in line. If Schaub goes down again next season, lord forbid, it will most likely be Yates stepping up to fill the gap again – Karl Dorrell will help mold him into a great quarterback.

If you do not believe me consider this…

While at Miami Dorrell was faced with a situation much like that of the Texans. Chad Henne, the Dolphins starting QB, was lost for the season with a separated shoulder. The next available QB was Matt Moore, an undrafted free agent from 2007.

Dorrell had worked with Moore all season long and, when Moore’s time came, it showed. Moore finished the season with a career best 2,497 passing yards, 16 TDs, and a completion rate of 87.1%. At season’s end he was ranked fifth among QBs in the AFC.

That is what Coach Kubiak saw in Dorrell and that is part of the reason why I suggested the Texans may pursue him. Coach Kubiak added the following about him:

"In a lot of ways, he had the same situation we kind of had…Karl’s a good football coach. Karl could coach any position you want him to coach on offense, but we just need him to go in there and do a good job with Matt and with T.J. (Yates) and the other Matt (Leinart). He’s looking forward to it and excited to get going."

So, Texans fans, the future looks bright. We have a very good starting QB (when he’s healthy) and a very promising young QB. We now have one of the best QB coaches in the NFL, one of the best Defensive Coordinators in the NFL, and the playoffs in our sights. Hats off to the Texans front office – it appears that they have finally gotten things right!