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David Culley Fired After One Season!

Mangler

Toro de España
Philosophical differences huh? Does that mean Nick wanted 1:1 and Culley won too many games? Ain’t buying the philosophical differences BS.

I think who Nick wanted all along said he’s ready to come and Nick let the placeholder go to make it happen.
Even better. The man let the underperforming employee go and can now hire the one whose strengths and weaknesses are not a mystery to him.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
What in particular makes it "time to move on the next 2 phases of the rebuild? What went right in the first year of Caserio?
High draft picks are what went right.

Now gotta get the HC and bring in high end talent with those picks.
 

Speedy

Former Yeller Dweller
I know in Nicky we trust and you're hoping he hires McDaniels. What are your thoughts if he doesn't hire McDaniels or Flores and ends up hiring someone who was available last year? Is it going to be considered another "placeholder" HC while he waits for one of his BFFs to become available?
I think that depends on who it is. Will it be another guy who's never ever been on anybody's HC radar ever, or somebody with legit qualifications?

Don't think we'll get to find out the answer to that because I believe his BFF is coming or Culley wouldn't have been fired.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
David Mills was a good pick for a 3rd round QB. Lovie showed he can still make chicken salad with the defense. They were able to get Cal a new Playstation so he stayed in his office. So see several things went good.
Most coaches will bring in their own DC. Lovie doing well does not lead to a HC change, unless Lovie is promoted.
 

Speedy

Former Yeller Dweller
Even better. The man let the underperforming employee go and can now hire the one whose strengths and weaknesses are not a mystery to him.
The underperforming employee was the plan though. Now is just the time when his true choice is ready to come here. Thank you underperforming employee. I thought we'd do this dance for 2 seasons, but my guy is ready now. Here's your $22M for playing the part we wanted until then.
 

AcresHomesTexan

No Longer Arlington: Escaped From Jerry's World
Staff member
Naïve exercise of taking everything at face value.

1) Texans went through the process and though David Culley was the best candidate to be the coach of the Texans.
2) Culley always seems to be the last person to know anything about the direction of the team, starting with Watson.
3) We found out that David Culley has to he GM on his headset during the season
4) Culley goes 4-13 often looking like a coach having no experience.
5) Culley states after the season that Tim Kelley is a part the team going forward.
6) Culley is fired for philosophical differences with Cesario

Face value says that Culley wanted to keep Kelley and Nick C. disagreed. Everything else says that Culley has went along with the program. I know there is more to it than that. Including my being wrong about Culley as this temporary band-aid.

---------
So the Texans have went from a team which was patient to a fault to one who dismisses multiple coaches and GMs at a moments notice.. Okay, things have changed on Kirby.
 

Earl34

Hall of Fame
Christ almighty steelb since when did you become the cheerleader around here? :lol:
I’ve been asking the same thing for months. He is even criticizing posters for being hard headed and wanting to be right instead of wanting what’s best for the Texans.

I recommend starting an Amazon subscribe and save order of Ben-Gay or your favorite pain reliever. You will need it for whiplash you will get from the total 180 perspective that contradicts his posts during the Ricky and Derrick years.
 

Number19

Hall of Fame
$22 mil - source is NFL Network's Tom Pelissero
$8 mil - from steelb's mystery-unnamed source

hmmm... who to believe?
Yesterday there was a bit of confusion about this, especially early on. The $8M figure was the early number announced on the radio/610. Then later in the afternoon I heard the source of the $22M figure was Culley. There's also been confusion whether his contract was for 4 yrs or 5 yrs. Caserio didn't comment on this in this mornings press conference.

So it appears the "sources" are various news commentators, but nothing "official".
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
Face value says that Culley wanted to keep Kelley and Nick C. disagreed.
I just can't believe Culley would stick his neck out for someone like Kelly.

Judging from some things Caserio said about being able to find solutions, I can see them going to Culley saying we need to replace Time Kelly & Culley was like, "Ok. Who do you want to replace him with?"

Either he wasn't on board with who they want to bring in, they weren't on board with who he wanted to bring in, or they were disappointed that he didn't have a suggestion.
 

Double Barrel

Texans Talk Admin
Staff member
Contributor's Club
Pretty much every franchise but a handful - Steelers, Patriots and a couple others.

Coaching changes and GM changes.

Unless your Tampa and walk into signing the Goat at QB.
I'd say the list is short - i.e. teams that have ever been to a SB.

Houston Texans
Cleveland Browns
Jacksonville Jaguars
Detroit Lions

Why are y’all so upset Culley was let go? The guy sucked! Caserio had to hold his hand during games through the headset. The guy was given a shot and A LOT of money just to have fun impersonating a HC. If any of y’all still wanted Culley as the HC for the Texans after the 2021 season, then may god bless your slow souls.

Caserio now has HC options to choose from, along with a full draft board to work with.

Ok, I apologize for referring to the Culley fans as slow pokes. Haven’t had my morning coffee.
I don't think it's about folks feeling sorry for Culley as much as it is the big picture optics of this franchise since 2018 after Bob McNair passed away.

It's been a clown show since then, and while clowns can be very entertaining, football fans would rather have a different type of entertainment when you have a truly competitive team capable of competing for championships.

There’s been a video posted in 1 of these million NC/David Culley threads….NC has ALWAYS been on The headsets, yes even with Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels. This has been known for years. So was he “holding” arguably the GOAT HC’s hands through games too all these years? You’re rationale flies in the face of reality. NC’s style is just different from pretty much most GM’s…
It's been reported that Caserio wore a headset in NE to learn, but not to give advice.

Belichick had Ernie Adams in his ear to give analytical information to him during games that helped him make decisions and also helped with evaluating players for the drafrt. Ernie earned six rings in that role and retired last year.

I think Caserio wore the headset here and then started telling Culley what to do when he realized that Culley was simply incapable of making head coaching decisions during games.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
High draft picks are what went right.

Now gotta get the HC and bring in high end talent with those picks.
Nope, I think the plan was 2 and done for Culley. But the guy they want became available so Caserio made the move.
If the only thing that improved was draft picks, surely they knew that was going to be the case. They knew they were going to have a 1st & 2nd round pick in 2022. So they had to have planned to can Culley after 2021 if that's the reason they feel the team is in a better situation to attract "their guy"
 

dream_team

Hall of Fame
I was responding to a post, where steel said the $22mil reports are false... it's $8mil because "someone told him who knows". He didn't quote Adam Schefter at all, which would have given his post some credibility.

BTW, Aaron Wilson has reported that Culley told him (in a phone interview) that he had 3 years guaranteed remaining, so the $22mil sounds more credible to me.

https://www.si.com/nfl/texans/news/houston-david-culley-reaction-firing-head-coach
 

Mr teX

Hall of Fame
I'd say the list is short - i.e. teams that have ever been to a SB.

Houston Texans
Cleveland Browns
Jacksonville Jaguars
Detroit Lions



I don't think it's about folks feeling sorry for Culley as much as it is the big picture optics of this franchise since 2018 after Bob McNair passed away.

It's been a clown show since then, and while clowns can be very entertaining, football fans would rather have a different type of entertainment when you have a truly competitive team capable of competing for championships.



It's been reported that Caserio wore a headset in NE to learn, but not to give advice.

Belichick had Ernie Adams in his ear to give analytical information to him during games that helped him make decisions and also helped with evaluating players for the drafrt. Ernie earned six rings in that role and retired last year.

I think Caserio wore the headset here and then started telling Culley what to do when he realized that Culley was simply incapable of making head coaching decisions during games.
I think Beli had lots of folks in his ear when he needed/wanted specific types of info. Caserio was probably more in McDaniels’ headset, but I believe Beli utilized Ernie and NC in that role depending on what the situations called for.
 

AcresHomesTexan

No Longer Arlington: Escaped From Jerry's World
Staff member
I just can't believe Culley would stick his neck out for someone like Kelly.

Judging from some things Caserio said about being able to find solutions, I can see them going to Culley saying we need to replace Time Kelly & Culley was like, "Ok. Who do you want to replace him with?"

Either he wasn't on board with who they want to bring in, they weren't on board with who he wanted to bring in, or they were disappointed that he didn't have a suggestion.
We have Culley saying that Kelley would be back as OC.


And only Culley and Kelly being fired. That is not a huge leap for me. Nick C. used lots of vague how change, what change need to be made language. I start by saying I am being naïve here.
 

Texian

Hall of Fame
$22 mil - source is NFL Network's Tom Pelissero
$8 mil - from steelb's mystery-unnamed source

hmmm... who to believe?
He's probably a little embarrassed by another major File Clerk FUBAR right out of the gate, 5 days after the season ended. In denial or trying to deflect from the FUBAR.
 

Texansballer74

The Marine
Philosophical differences huh? Does that mean Nick wanted 1:1 and Culley won too many games? Ain’t buying the philosophical differences BS.

I think who Nick wanted all along said he’s ready to come and Nick let the placeholder go to make it happen.
Hey that was his words and not mines. And we all should’ve known Culley wasn’t going to be here after this season.
 

TexansBull

Hall of Fame
Is it possible Culley is smarter than we give him credit for? What if he knew the deal he made and chose not to go along with the plan to get fired? What if he knew the money was guaranteed and he was ready to get away. So when they asked him to continue playing the game he said no. Boom fired and early retirement. Win win.
 

TexansBull

Hall of Fame
I was responding to a post, where steel said the $22mil reports are false... it's $8mil because "someone told him who knows". He didn't quote Adam Schefter at all, which would have given his post some credibility.

BTW, Aaron Wilson has reported that Culley told him (in a phone interview) that he had 3 years guaranteed remaining, so the $22mil sounds more credible to me.

https://www.si.com/nfl/texans/news/houston-david-culley-reaction-firing-head-coach
I don’t know if it makes any difference.

It makes a difference to a lot of us because is sounds like that is a lot of money.

To billionaires it’s not.

We are talking about Janice who made the Texans trade away Hopkins.

We are talking about Cal and who, well no one really knows what he does except play video games and promote people to positions they have no business in like OB.

Do you think it really matters?

Plus - I remember when the talk around was that they were cheap.

I said it once prior to Culley and will say it again.

I want an owner who will fire their HC for the best thing coming available.

I wish the Texans did it with OB when Shannahan was moving on from ATL. I wish they did it to get Andy Reid.

And the entire board would have been in agreement if it was done for Shannahan.

I don’t see what all the fuss is.

Money wasted? Didn’t count against the cap. Not mine. They don’t care. I don’t care.
 

TexansBull

Hall of Fame
It's been reported that Caserio wore a headset in NE to learn, but not to give advice.
Caserio was more than learning. He knows the coaching operations on game day more than most GMs. Article from 2017:

“When the play clock hits 40, the three coaches in the press box get to work. Director of personnel Nick Caserio is the most indispensable.

“Nick Caserio’s been talking to me for the better part of 10 years,” McDaniels said. “He tells me where the ball’s at, what hash it’s on, what’s the down and distance. He’ll say, ‘Left hash, second and 7 at the 33.’ Then sometimes I’ll call the personnel, then he’ll say, ‘Hey, they subbed nickel in.’ He’ll continue to communicate with me until the end.””

 

OptimisticTexan

2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
Caserio was more than learning. He knows the coaching operations on game day more than most GMs. Article from 2017:

“When the play clock hits 40, the three coaches in the press box get to work. Director of personnel Nick Caserio is the most indispensable.

“Nick Caserio’s been talking to me for the better part of 10 years,” McDaniels said. “He tells me where the ball’s at, what hash it’s on, what’s the down and distance. He’ll say, ‘Left hash, second and 7 at the 33.’ Then sometimes I’ll call the personnel, then he’ll say, ‘Hey, they subbed nickel in.’ He’ll continue to communicate with me until the end.””

Folks are forgetting he was a very successful QB at John Carroll University.

Side note; the university is a private Jesuit Catholic school who also cloned their uniforms after the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
 

TexansBull

Hall of Fame
I'd say the list is short - i.e. teams that have ever been to a SB.

Houston Texans
Cleveland Browns
Jacksonville Jaguars
Detroit Lions
Belicheck, Tomlin, Payton, Harbaugh, Carrol, and Reid are some of the longest tenured coaches.

Everyone else was hired 2017 or more recent. You get into a summarized class of Shannahan and McVay who were hired in 2017. 2018 it was Nagy and Vrabel. In 2019 it was Arians, Kingsbury and LaFluer.

The difference between those six and everyone else is a Super Bowl win.

GMs would be about the same, probably a few variances like the Cowboys.

Finding coaches and GMs is what all teams do. It doesn’t make them an expansion team.
 

JB

Innocent Bystander
Contributor's Club
Folks are forgetting he was a very successful QB at John Carroll University.

Side note; the university is a private Jesuit Catholic school who also cloned their uniforms after the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
Jesuits... teachers of the gifted since time immemorial
 

dream_team

Hall of Fame
I don’t know if it makes any difference.

It makes a difference to a lot of us because is sounds like that is a lot of money.

To billionaires it’s not.

We are talking about Janice who made the Texans trade away Hopkins.

We are talking about Cal and who, well no one really knows what he does except play video games and promote people to positions they have no business in like OB.

Do you think it really matters?

Plus - I remember when the talk around was that they were cheap.

I said it once prior to Culley and will say it again.

I want an owner who will fire their HC for the best thing coming available.

I wish the Texans did it with OB when Shannahan was moving on from ATL. I wish they did it to get Andy Reid.

And the entire board would have been in agreement if it was done for Shannahan.

I don’t see what all the fuss is.

Money wasted? Didn’t count against the cap. Not mine. They don’t care. I don’t care.
I know I know... not our money, doesn't count against the cap, so we shouldn't care. If we have this attitude, then we can't complain about why ticket prices are going up.

Also, it's not really the money that bothers me, it's the idiotic move. I want this organization to make good/smart moves. Give me hope that eventually we'll have a good team. Guaranteeing a first time HC $22mil to be a "placeholder" doesn't not bode confidence in the FO.
 

Earl34

Hall of Fame
I know I know... not our money, doesn't count against the cap, so we shouldn't care. If we have this attitude, then we can't complain about why ticket prices are going up.

Also, it's not really the money that bothers me, it's the idiotic move. I want this organization to make good/smart moves. Give me hope that eventually we'll have a good team. Guaranteeing a first time HC $22mil to be a "placeholder" doesn't not bode confidence in the FO.
Good point. For argument's sake. We will say the Texans have two categories in their budgets. Salary cap for players and operating expense for non-players. At one point, the Texans were paying 3 GMs (Smith, Gaine, BOB). They have one of the highest paid GM and VP of football ops. Now they will be on their 3rd HC in 3 years and BOB and Culley still on the books. Is Gaine still on the books?

Every organization has a budget. No team expects or budgets to be paying 2-3 GMs and/or HCs at the same time. At what point does blowing the operating expense budget leads to trying to get some cost savings by going cheap on the salary cap or increasing ticket prices?
 

Texansballer74

The Marine
Nope, I think the plan was 2 and done for Culley. But the guy they want became available so Caserio made the move.
I don’t believe this was the case at all. I think it truly had something to do with Culley not doing exactly what Caserio wanted him to do. They bumped heads on who was the starter at quarterback and some in game decisions. The video you laughed at was one example.
 

Texian

Hall of Fame
Guaranteeing a first time HC $22mil to be a "placeholder" doesn't not bode confidence in the FO.
It fits with the pattern of behavior that has become all to come when it comes to throwing money away; trading for players and then cutting them; restructuring contracts and then cutting them; restructuring contracts and then trading them; trading players but still paying most of their annual salary; accumulating over $50 million in dead for the 2022 season.
 

Porky

Hall of Fame
Culley should have never been hired so I don't trust the 3 stooges to get this next hire right either. I mean what does it say about the 3 headed monster that they conducted an exhaustive search and end up with a guy even football guru's have never heard of? OTOH, I do give NC some points for recognizing the pure folly of the hire and yanking the plug now.

Culley was in way over his head and had to be the most clueless HC I've ever seen.

Good guy personally. His likeability factor was off the charts, but there was a reason he had never been interviewed for HC, and never been a coordinator in a long career as a rather obscure assistant. Best wishes to him on a VERY nice retirement. I'm glad the plug was pulled now. Time to turn the page.

I want to hire BOB back. I mean, relative to a pile of dog feces.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
Christ almighty steelb since when did you become the cheerleader around here? :lol:
I'm just glad that either this rebuild will work, or the McNair's will be run out of town.

Finally some accountability and it only took 29 years. This is what I've been preaching since 2010. As a fan I hope things work out.
 

Double Barrel

Texans Talk Admin
Staff member
Contributor's Club
Caserio was more than learning. He knows the coaching operations on game day more than most GMs. Article from 2017:

“When the play clock hits 40, the three coaches in the press box get to work. Director of personnel Nick Caserio is the most indispensable.

“Nick Caserio’s been talking to me for the better part of 10 years,” McDaniels said. “He tells me where the ball’s at, what hash it’s on, what’s the down and distance. He’ll say, ‘Left hash, second and 7 at the 33.’ Then sometimes I’ll call the personnel, then he’ll say, ‘Hey, they subbed nickel in.’ He’ll continue to communicate with me until the end.””

Good find. Thanks.

It's probably good training for Caserio since his next head coach might be a guy with three years as a position coach and has never been a coordinator. :thinking:

You never know if your new, inexperienced head coach can really handle the pressure of sideline decisions until you find out the hard way.

And I would think that this is Nick's last chance to pick a HC for this franchise? Obviously, that's purely an assumption and anything is possible with Cal. He might see HCs the way that O'Brien saw QBs. lol
 

Lucky

Ride, Captain, Ride!
Staff member
$22 mil - source is NFL Network's Tom Pelissero
$8 mil - from steelb's mystery-unnamed source

hmmm... who to believe?
If you read upthread others have also reported 2 years 8 mil on Twitter.

Believe what you want I don't give a crap. It's not my money.
FWIW, McClain said on 610 this afternoon that Culley got $22 million for one year's work. Culley seemed pretty civil in his farewell statement, so I'm inclined to believe he didn't get stiffed.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
Good point. For argument's sake. We will say the Texans have two categories in their budgets. Salary cap for players and operating expense for non-players. At one point, the Texans were paying 3 GMs (Smith, Gaine, BOB). They have one of the highest paid GM and VP of football ops. Now they will be on their 3rd HC in 3 years and BOB and Culley still on the books. Is Gaine still on the books?

Every organization has a budget. No team expects or budgets to be paying 2-3 GMs and/or HCs at the same time. At what point does blowing the operating expense budget leads to trying to get some cost savings by going cheap on the salary cap or increasing ticket prices?
Ticket prices have been lowered for the next 2 years.

1st time that's ever happened.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
I don’t believe this was the case at all. I think it truly had something to do with Culley not doing exactly what Caserio wanted him to do. They bumped heads on who was the starter at quarterback and some in game decisions. The video you laughed at was one example.
Agree to disagree.

Respect your opinion though.
 
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