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Texans hire Bill O'Brien as HC

Happy New Year to everyone!

Not at all surprised that BOB is the guy, but very excited. I was told by an insider about two weeks ago that BOB was the guy as long as the parameters fell into place. But very, very, pleased it came to fruition. For the first time, I'm actually excited by who we have at HC. I liked the Kubes hire at the time admittedly, but it was more around the whole local boy comes home thing.

I like the guy's demeanor. He seems to have a little "chin" in him as far as exuding confidence, toughness, and a desire to not just hang on and try to be there at the end, but to blow people out and step on their throats when they are down.

I think he will bring an aggressiveness to the offense heretofore unseen. As far as the D, I'm very curious what he does there. I wonder if Wade stays on or he brings in a new guy. Personally, I prefer a 4/3, but I'm ok with Wade staying on I suppose. Interesting days and weeks ahead!
 
Well-said.

I see some Cowher in him. That's a good thing...as long as he doesn't have Cowher's stubborn streak (i.e. sticking with Kordell Stewart as starting QB for far too long).
 
First of all, Happy New Year's to everyone on TexansTalk. I hope 2014 is full of opportunities, excitement, and full of successes for you and your families.

As for O'Brien I'm not a fan of Patriots coordinators who had the opportunity to work with Tom Brady but I'll take this as a move that was carefully thought over and move on.

I like that he has no problem getting emotional and saying what's on his mind. Also having worked with Brady he probably has a solid understanding of what a good Quarterback is so I'm excited about that.

I just hope we have a solid draft and are able to bounce back and not only make it to the playoffs but win our division and actually move beyond to the AFC title game...absolutely no reason why we can't in 2014.
 
So McNair has to pay Kubiak's final contract year. He had to pay $6.5M to Penn St. as a buyout, right? And he has to pay B'OB whatever his contract ends up being. Anyone have any idea how much the Texans are spending on coaching for 2014?
 
So McNair has to pay Kubiak's final contract year. He had to pay $6.5M to Penn St. as a buyout, right? And he has to pay B'OB whatever his contract ends up being. Anyone have any idea how much the Texans are spending on coaching for 2014?

Well it is around $18 mil for HC alone.

This should forever lay to rest the McNair is cheap BS.
 
I know exactly what to make of it..

They're bashing a guy because he left their nest/team. If we didn't fire Kubiak this season and another football program pulled him away and hired him would people around here really be upset about it? Nope, they wouldn't.

The fact that they're all pissed off and are crying leads me to believe we made the right decision since they're so upset about him leaving.

College football fans who post on rivals.com boards are also looney tunes as hell.

Well it is around $18 mil for HC alone.

This should forever lay to rest the McNair is cheap BS.

You and I both know that is not what is going to happen with a select few (or one) posters on this board.
 
Well it is around $18 mil for HC alone.

This should forever lay to rest the McNair is cheap BS.

Correct. I have long said that Bob McNair is not cheap. He can be criticized for a lot of decisions he's made, but, he's always been generous with the $$$$.

Regarding how much this is costing him, let's not forget that he likely has to buy out all of the fired assistants and spend even MORE money on whatever assistants O'Brien wants.

This move is not a cheap one.
 
Did you follow what O'Brien did at Penn State at all? Do you believe they had the talent to win the Big 10? I was impressed by how he kept the team's head up and never let them feel sorry for themselves after the sanctions went down. I was impressed that O'Brien stayed at Penn State after the sanctions were imposed.

I get the skepticism of McNair. He's been in the league 12 years, but he still seems like a novice. Only winning big and winning consistently can change that. I wanted a big name here that could change the culture of this organization. O'Brien is not a "big name". But, maybe he can change things down on Kirby.

Yep. When O'Brien's name first surfaced, I was thinking: Who?

I didn't see what the big draw was. After thinking it over, and reading more about the guy, I'm ok with this hire. Why? Because not only do we need a coaching change, we need a CULTURE change. The entire way of thinking with this franchise needs to go. Period.

This franchise has been infected with a middle-of-the-road, complacent culture. Winning is not the most important thing with the Texans. "Trying" and working hard are more important. If a win comes as a result of that, cool. But, if it doesn't, meh. We'll get them next time! It's maddening.

One of the most frustrating things for me about the Kubiak era was how we were never prepared for major games. Prime time games, games after the bye, games where something significant was on the line (like home field advantage in the AFC)...we tanked. One essence of sports - of life, really - is the ability to step up and perform when needed. Winners can; losers cant.

One thing I've always respected about Belichek was his foot-on-your-throat mentality about winning. Dude would mow down an old lady crossing the street if he thought doing so would win him a football game.
 
Definitely. Capers seemed like a safe pick and Gary seemed like a reach to me. O'Brien might crash and burn spectacularly (I don't see it happening for the record) but if he does then at least Bob will be "wrong in the right direction" for a change.

I really like the emphasis he seems to place on intelligence. It's a quality I think our roster has been lacking over the years.

Firstly let me say I'm 100% on board and behind Bill O'Brien as our new Head Coach. Everything I've read and YouTube'd paints a man with drive, passion for the game and innovative ideas.

That leads me to ask about this: If "our roster has been lacking (intelligence) over the years" does that mean we don't have players smart enough to adapt to O'B's 'think on the run' offense? If that's the case, how many seasons/drafts does it take to get these scholars? That in and of itself doesn't ring well with me personally. I hope he can come in and make lemonade mucho pronto. (I hope this comes across in the spirit it's intended)

Hanging in the back of my mind as well is the "fiery, in your face", take no prisoners (my metaphor) attitude. It's been discussed on this board even regarding that MO not flying in the NFL. Schiano found that out post haste. Several folks here have mentioned the ass eating he gave Brady on the sideline and I guess that's cool. On occasion. I've read of him being a "bow hard hothead" on more than one occasion. Granted, some of those were probably monkey hurt PSU supporters who can't let go. My concern I suppose is how tempered is he with coming uncorked or does he fly off the handle because someone brings him coffee that's not the way he wants it.

Not bashing here but I think it's a legitimate question. Other opinions?
 
Well it is around $18 mil for HC alone.

This should forever lay to rest the McNair is cheap BS.

I said in an earlier thread that I was glad BoB spent the $$$$$ to get a HC that was in demand rather than go the retread route.

My hats off to you BoB, regardless of how the O'brien hiring works out.

Hiring top notch AC's like Crennel will be the next litmus test. Hopefully BoB will spend the $$$$ to get the bet assistants possible. This has been a shortcoming of the Texans org in the past. I dont know whether that's on Gary or BoB.
 
Well it is around $18 mil for HC alone.

This should forever lay to rest the McNair is cheap BS.

Dude spent some serious money to do this. Props to Mcnair and also props to Rick Smith who obviously had some say so in this. I can no longer call him cheap. I just hope that O'Brien causes them to be more active in trades and free agency when good opportunities come along.
 
Firstly let me say I'm 100% on board and behind Bill O'Brien as our new Head Coach. Everything I've read and YouTube'd paints a man with drive, passion for the game and innovative ideas.

That leads me to ask about this: If "our roster has been lacking (intelligence) over the years" does that mean we don't have players smart enough to adapt to O'B's 'think on the run' offense? If that's the case, how many seasons/drafts does it take to get these scholars? That in and of itself doesn't ring well with me personally. I hope he can come in and make lemonade mucho pronto. (I hope this comes across in the spirit it's intended)

Hanging in the back of my mind as well is the "fiery, in your face", take no prisoners (my metaphor) attitude. It's been discussed on this board even regarding that MO not flying in the NFL. Schiano found that out post haste. Several folks here have mentioned the ass eating he gave Brady on the sideline and I guess that's cool. On occasion. I've read of him being a "bow hard hothead" on more than one occasion. Granted, some of those were probably monkey hurt PSU supporters who can't let go. My concern I suppose is how tempered is he with coming uncorked or does he fly off the handle because someone brings him coffee that's not the way he wants it.

Not bashing here but I think it's a legitimate question. Other opinions?

I think this organization has needed a little bit of that. I think that he is a serious guy with serious expectations. He is going to hold people accountable for meeting them and being professional.
 
Firstly let me say I'm 100% on board and behind Bill O'Brien as our new Head Coach. Everything I've read and YouTube'd paints a man with drive, passion for the game and innovative ideas.

That leads me to ask about this: If "our roster has been lacking (intelligence) over the years" does that mean we don't have players smart enough to adapt to O'B's 'think on the run' offense? If that's the case, how many seasons/drafts does it take to get these scholars? That in and of itself doesn't ring well with me personally. I hope he can come in and make lemonade mucho pronto. (I hope this comes across in the spirit it's intended)

Hanging in the back of my mind as well is the "fiery, in your face", take no prisoners (my metaphor) attitude. It's been discussed on this board even regarding that MO not flying in the NFL. Schiano found that out post haste. Several folks here have mentioned the ass eating he gave Brady on the sideline and I guess that's cool. On occasion. I've read of him being a "bow hard hothead" on more than one occasion. Granted, some of those were probably monkey hurt PSU supporters who can't let go. My concern I suppose is how tempered is he with coming uncorked or does he fly off the handle because someone brings him coffee that's not the way he wants it.

Not bashing here but I think it's a legitimate question. Other opinions?

Look, there's a middle ground between Gary Kubiak and a, say, Greg Schiano. You don't have to be a total weak-willed coach, but I don't think you have to be a total jerk, either.

Sometimes it's about simple - wait for it...- accountability. That's the word that's been tossed around here the last six months. The players and coaches under Kubiak got to do anything they wanted. Anything. That's not coaching.

I'm guessing the Buc's owners felt that the team under Raheem Morris lacked discipline, and they told Schiano to be tough. Sounds like he went overboard.

I don't believe in "players coaches." They don't work, in my opinion.

I'd rather take a chance with a tougher coach than one who wants to be friends with his players.

Bob McNair nailed it perfectly in his Kubiak-firing press conference: there's a difference between doing what's best for the players, and doing what's best for the overall organization. Kubiak did what was best for individual people - Matt Schaub, Joe Marciano - but did not care that doing so hurt the overall organization.
 
Dude spent some serious money to do this. Props to Mcnair and also props to Rick Smith who obviously had some say so in this. I can no longer call him cheap. I just hope that O'Brien causes them to be more active in trades and free agency when good opportunities come along.

Also: props to the Texans for having the stones to fire a coach during the season.

It's time to put to rest the idea that firing a coach during the season does no good.
 
Dude spent some serious money to do this. Props to Mcnair and also props to Rick Smith who obviously had some say so in this. I can no longer call him cheap. I just hope that O'Brien causes them to be more active in trades and free agency when good opportunities come along.

Agreed. First thing in my mind is to extend JJ Watt! Do that then I'll listen to drafting Clowney #1 overall :wesmantexanfan:
 
Agreed. First thing in my mind is to extend JJ Watt! Do that then I'll listen to drafting Clowney #1 overall :wesmantexanfan:

I don't want another Mario Williams type of guy. Clowney has to many issues for me to want the Texas to waste a big pick like that on a guy with so many red flags.

I want our franchise QB.
 
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I don't want another Mario Williams type of guy. Clowney has to many issues for me to want the Texas to waste a big pick like that on a guy with so many red flags.



I want our franchise QB.


Agreed... Now wether at is Bridgewater, JFF, or Bortles I don't know. I personally like Bridgewater, but I'll trust O'Brien to pick the qb that best fits what he wants in a qb.


Sent from the future...
 
If that's the case, how many seasons/drafts does it take to get these scholars?
Hanging in the back of my mind as well is the "fiery, in your face", take no prisoners (my metaphor) attitude. It's been discussed on this board even regarding that MO not flying in the NFL. Schiano found that out post haste. Several folks here have mentioned the ass eating he gave Brady on the sideline and I guess that's cool. On occasion. I've read of him being a "bow hard hothead" on more than one occasion. Granted, some of those were probably monkey hurt PSU supporters who can't let go. My concern I suppose is how tempered is he with coming uncorked or does he fly off the handle because someone brings him coffee that's not the way he wants it.

Not bashing here but I think it's a legitimate question. Other opinions?


The question concerning not having players with a high football IQ is interesting because I had not really considered this a huge hole in the Texans game, but you may have something there. I do not know if you could coach-up some players to where they need to be? Retooling through the draft and FAs to improve in this area would take probably 3 years in my small mind.

A hardas* like the 'Chin' will be great for this organization. Good character is great, but no testicles and drive to dominate cannot be lost. Good enough is not good enough this time around. Schiano was an as*hat that alienated players by his decisions to screw players. I know there were at least two instances in Tampa where they placed players on the non-football injury list to save money. These decisions only eliminate FAs from wanting to come to your organization and breed distrust. Decisions like those are why Tampa jettisoned coach and GM. I do not think a disciplinarian who has the respect of players needs to worry too much about today's NFL. Who wants more little Nancy's on this team?
 
I have never been this excited as a Texan fan.

yeah, this is the very first time I'm excited about who our HC is.

I was pretty excited when I found out our HC had taken an expansion team to the play offs in it's second year.

I was pretty excited when I found our our HC was going to bring an offense that was very difficult to stop & averaged among the top of the league.

I like the O'Brien hire. But only because I hope he'll bring innovation & motivation. However, I am concerned McNair brought O'Brien in because there have been several college coaches who've been exceptionally successful early in their coaching career.

I think that would have been a great idea after 2010, when we were much younger, like a college team.
 
Agreed. First thing in my mind is to extend JJ Watt! Do that then I'll listen to drafting Clowney #1 overall :wesmantexanfan:

Please explain. We've got three years before we have to spend any money on Watt. At least 5 before we have to spend any on Clowney.
 
If "our roster has been lacking (intelligence) over the years" does that mean we don't have players smart enough to adapt to O'B's 'think on the run' offense?
OB's offense is different, but it's not rocket science. Kubiak's offensive philosophy was criticized for being too "vanilla", but that had nothing to do with player's intelligence.

My concern I suppose is how tempered is he with coming uncorked...

The man has a temper and needs to vent at times. Belichick has a temper and quietly cuts you. Many women I've dated got "overwhelmed" and needed to talk themselves down. Ditka, Jimmy Johnson had tempers. Bill Walsh, Tom Landry less so.

It's his process. Not right or wrong. People are different.
 
People can sit here and complain about the hiring of BOB all they want, but we went 2-14 this season and both our head coaches just stood there looking dumb founded while everything around them was crashing down.

SO.......atleast if we still suck now we will have a coach who will shove his foot so far up their million dollar asses they wont be able to sit down on the sofas at their mansion. Atleast we will have that if nothing else !
 
Firstly let me say I'm 100% on board and behind Bill O'Brien as our new Head Coach. Everything I've read and YouTube'd paints a man with drive, passion for the game and innovative ideas.

That leads me to ask about this: If "our roster has been lacking (intelligence) over the years" does that mean we don't have players smart enough to adapt to O'B's 'think on the run' offense? If that's the case, how many seasons/drafts does it take to get these scholars? That in and of itself doesn't ring well with me personally. I hope he can come in and make lemonade mucho pronto. (I hope this comes across in the spirit it's intended)

Hanging in the back of my mind as well is the "fiery, in your face", take no prisoners (my metaphor) attitude. It's been discussed on this board even regarding that MO not flying in the NFL. Schiano found that out post haste. Several folks here have mentioned the ass eating he gave Brady on the sideline and I guess that's cool. On occasion. I've read of him being a "bow hard hothead" on more than one occasion. Granted, some of those were probably monkey hurt PSU supporters who can't let go. My concern I suppose is how tempered is he with coming uncorked or does he fly off the handle because someone brings him coffee that's not the way he wants it.

Not bashing here but I think it's a legitimate question. Other opinions?

When I say that Houston has seemed to be short players at times with intelligence I guess what I'm trying to get across is that time and time again we've seen Texans players do just absolutely stupid stuff and put the team in a bad place. Things like extending opponents drives after getting a stop or killing their own drives with penalties for example. Failing to run the route correctly at times. Just "mistakes". Now I guess some of this is discipline but sometimes it's happened so often that I've wondered if the fool (of that particular moment) even understands what his job is on that play. Guys who can't keep it together and aren't mature enough to play smart instead of retaliating. That kind of thing.

When I watch bad teams play I see this kind of thing a lot. I'm sure many of you do too. When I saw the Texans play, even during the last two seasons when we were winning I still saw lots of this crap.

I just wonder if that's going to improve under O'Brien be it through greater discipline, better teaching, or pursuing a better grade of player with a higher IQ.
 
I was pretty excited when I found out our HC had taken an expansion team to the play offs in it's second year.

I was pretty excited when I found our our HC was going to bring an offense that was very difficult to stop & averaged among the top of the league.

I like the O'Brien hire. But only because I hope he'll bring innovation & motivation. However, I am concerned McNair brought O'Brien in because there have been several college coaches who've been exceptionally successful early in their coaching career.

I think that would have been a great idea after 2010, when we were much younger, like a college team.

I was happy with Dom but Kubiak couldn't even put a sentence together. I'm sorry but I would never hire a guy who sounded like him to a leadership role.
 
Nice article from Jeffri Chadiha at ESPN on O'Brien's hiring:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10229463/bill-obrien-fits-bill-houston-texans

"The Houston Texans are taking a risk in hiring Penn State's Bill O'Brien as their new head coach. He's a man whose head-coaching experience comes down to two seasons at Penn State. He was an assistant in New England for four years before that, meaning he's following in a long line of failed coaches who've worked for New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. But O'Brien also is something else: The right man to make people forget all the disasters that have come out of New England before him."
 
I was happy with Dom but Kubiak couldn't even put a sentence together. I'm sorry but I would never hire a guy who sounded like him to a leadership role.

Everyone I know who's heard Kubiak speak in a public speaking sort of situation (for example, Stephanie Stradley at the various Texans' luncheons) has said that Kubiak is very charismatic and well-spoken.
 
It'll be interesting to see what direction O'Brien goes at QB.

To me the most impressive QBs in the bowl games so far have been Bortles and Hundley, not Bridgewater and Manziel.

A related note: I wonder if Snyder will still be so hot to trot for Briles after the thumping Baylor is taking tonight. UCF, a 17-point underdog, is leading by 17.
 
Reads bottom-to-top...

Jayson Braddock ‏@JaysonBraddock
Charlie Taaffe is now George O'Leary's OC at UCF. Both can give info on Bortles & will be trusted. All can run multiple offenses. #Texans

At Maryland, Charlie Taaffe used #Lions QB Shaun Hill to run the option under Friedgen while O'Brien was RB coach. #Texans

I still remember the battles of Joey Hamilton vs Woody Dantzler. Friedgen was Hamilton's OC at Ga Tech, then brought O'Brien to Maryland.

O'Brien was also employed by Ralph Friedgen, who ran a lot of option football & QB play depended on timing. Ralph had Joey Hamilton at Tech

O'Brien did coach Tom Brady at NE & Christian Hackenberg was his star recruit. Prototypical pocket passers, ideal NFL size, but... #Texans
 
It'll be interesting to see what direction O'Brien goes at QB.

To me the most impressive QBs in the bowl games so far have been Bortles and Hundley, not Bridgewater and Manziel.

A related note: I wonder if Snyder will still be so hot to trot for Briles after the thumping Baylor is taking tonight.

Was it their running ability that impressed you the most?

Bridgewater: 35/45, 447 yards, 3 TD's, 0 INTS

Manziel: 30/38, 382 yards, 4 TD's, 0 INTS

Bortles: 20/31, 301 yards, 3 TD's, 2 INTS

Hundley: 16/27, 226, 2 TD, 0 INTS

Rushing: Hundley had 10 carries for 161 yards, 2 TDs. Bortles had 8 carries for 93 yards, 1 TD. Manziel had 11 carries for 73 yards, 1 TD. Bridgewater had 6 carries for 24 yards, 1 TD.
 
It'll be interesting to see what direction O'Brien goes at QB.

To me the most impressive QBs in the bowl games so far have been Bortles and Hundley, not Bridgewater and Manziel.

A related note: I wonder if Snyder will still be so hot to trot for Briles after the thumping Baylor is taking tonight. UCF, a 17-point underdog, is leading by 17.

Yeah, Manziel and Bridgewater definitely sucked it up in their bowl games.
 
You're saying that, I didn't.

They did fine. They might be good NFL QBs, maybe even great.

But I'm looking at more than stats. Bortles and Hundley just strike me as less risky and more the NFL "type."
 
You're saying that, I didn't.

They did fine. They might be good NFL QBs, maybe even great.

But I'm looking at more than stats. Bortles and Hundley just strike me as less risky and more the NFL "type."

Besides Hundley's running ability he still didn't look all that great to me. His accuracy and reads need A TON of work. Bortles wasn't very accurate delivering the ball down the field. Those are traits that NFL QBs must possess.
 
adarazem.jpg

Cool.
 
Besides Hundley's running ability he still didn't look all that great to me. His accuracy and reads need A TON of work.

Did you see the TD pass he threw down the right sideline (in the fourth quarter)? It was perfect. And it came right when the announcers were talking about his NFL potential.
 
Did you see the TD pass he threw down the right sideline (in the fourth quarter)? It was perfect. And it came right when the announcers were talking about his NFL potential.

I watched 5 or 6 UCLA games. His accuracy down the field was erratic in this game just like it was in all of the rest I saw. He'll go back to school and improve on it I'm sure, but he needs to be more consistent with his downfield accuracy and reads. There is simply no questioning it in my mind. I saw the entire game and that was a nice throw, but he needs to improve in those areas before I feel like he's ready. Very nice potential though!

We can take this discussion to the draft board though so we stay on topic here.
 
:clap:

Who's going to be the QB? I don't care if BO is the next Bill Belichick or Vince Lombardi. No one wins without a stud QB.

That's the multi-million dollar question.

Thanks for bringing that up, us Texans fans don't have much experience in that department, it's nice when someone can come in and tell us something we don't know.


And by the way this is being discussed thoroughly in another thread:

http://www.texanstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103598
 
awesome placement. well done, glad i could help.

Thanks! Also, to answer the original question regarding QB, most are leaning Bridgewater, some are of course saying Manziel and there's some that want Bortles. However, I think O'Brien will make the correct decision so that's my opinion on our QB situation. Are you just inquiring on if Schaub will be available as your QB of the future after Brady retires? If so then the answer is undoubtedly yes, Schaub is perfect for your system.
 
Correct. There may not be a coach out there who wins without a stud quarterback but I'd hazard that there's not a coach out there who doesn't also know that. O'Brien is going to be in a position to choose from many options and he knows what's at stake. He'll make the right call.
 
Hopefully BO'B brings in Mallett for a 3rd rd pick and drafts Clowney 1-1.

Big Tex has a howitzer and is better than any QB in this draft. Plus he already knows BO'B's system. In addition to Mallett I would also look at bringing in Cassell for depth on a cheap FA contract. These would represent major upgrades at the QB position. Kinda like the Cards did with Palmer/Stanton or the Chiefs did with A.Smith/Daniels last yr.
 
Hopefully BO'B brings in Mallett for a 3rd rd pick and drafts Clowney 1-1.

Big Tex has a howitzer and is better than any QB in this draft. Plus he already knows BO'B's system. In addition to Mallett I would also look at bringing in Cassell for depth on a cheap FA contract. These would represent major upgrades at the QB position. Kinda like the Cards did with Palmer/Stanton or the Chiefs did with A.Smith/Daniels last yr.

Why is NE gonna trade Mallett?
 
Hopefully BO'B brings in Mallett for a 3rd rd pick and drafts Clowney 1-1.

Big Tex has a howitzer and is better than any QB in this draft. Plus he already knows BO'B's system. In addition to Mallett I would also look at bringing in Cassell for depth on a cheap FA contract. These would represent major upgrades at the QB position. Kinda like the Cards did with Palmer/Stanton or the Chiefs did with A.Smith/Daniels last yr.

No let a back up QB be a back up QB Houston needs to stop settling for left overs we want better.
 
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