The Houston Texans are the youngest expansion franchise in the NFL.
Since 2002, the Texans have had six different gentlemen serve as the organization’s head coach. One of the biggest struggles for Houston has been finding on-field success with their coaches, but there are a few diamonds in the rough.
Even with a sub .500 record at 135-169 all-time, the Houston Texans have managed a 4-6 playoff record with six AFC South Division Championships.
This is due to the work that the head coaches and management in the franchise have put in to continue moving the Texans in the right direction, even if the on-field success does not come right away. This is a phase that the team finds itself in currently.
We take a look at the shortlist of head coaches in the history of the franchise, (Dom Capers, Gary Kubiak, Wade Phillips, Bill O’Brien, Romeo Crennel, and David Culley) and narrow that down to the top three all-time head coaches in Houston Texans history.
BRONZE MEDAL: DOM CAPERS
Most recently, Dom Capers served as the Green Bay Packers Defensive Coordinator in 2017. Before that, Capers was tasked with being the Head Coach of the new expansion franchise Texans in 2002. Given the situation, he was able to build a foundation for Houston of which his successors will take control.
The ten-year Head Coach and 23-year-old NFL coaching veteran compiled an 18-46 record as the driver of the new franchise’s bus. His best season at the helm was a 7-9 record in which the team was led by quarterback David Carr and pro bowl wide receiver Andre Johnson.
Needless to say, it was a rough go for the Cambridge, Ohio native as the head coach for the Texans in their first four years. But he did all he could with a team that had the odds stacked against them year after year. His efforts within Houston are why we award him the bronze medal of the all-time Houston Texans head coaches.
SILVER MEDAL: GARY KUBIAK
Gary Kubiak took the reigns of the Texans in 2006. He was the head coach of the franchise for eight seasons where he finished with a 61-64 record. The longest-tenured sideline boss made two playoff appearances with Matt Schaub lining up behind center. Now that’s quite the accomplishment given Schaub’s career performance.
Coach Kubiak led Houston to its first playoff appearance in 2011, and then back to playoffs again in 2012 where he also captured the franchise’s first AFC South Division Championships in both of those respective years.
While Kubiak is not looked at at the best coach in franchise history, he coached the likes of some big Texans names such as J.J. Watt, Brian Cushing, Arian Foster, and Andre Johnson. The ten-year NFL head coach put the Texans on the map and his efforts get him the silver medal in our list of top head coaches in Houston Texans history.
GOLD MEDAL: BILL O’BRIEN
Now take Bill O’Brien’s ability as a general manager out of the equation. He is the only Texans head coach to have a winning record in their respective tenure. In his seven seasons as the HC, O’Brien managed a 52-48 record. Along with a positive win-loss record, the offensive guru sent Houston to four playoff appearances, (2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019).
In each of those respective seasons, the Texans won the AFC South Division. O’Brien absolutely changed the culture around NRG Stadium from a franchise that was happy to get above .500, to a team that anything less than a playoff appearance was not meeting expectations.
It was a hard fall for the head coach that helped bring in and develop players such as Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins, and J.J. Watt.
His want for total control was ultimately his downfall with the Texans as he was fired four games into 2020 as both the head coach and general manager for the organization.
His on-field success and playoff appearances as a head coach are what separates him from the rest of the men who served as HC on the sidelines in Houston. Bill O’Brien is deservingly awarded the gold medal as the all-time Houston Texans head coach.