Another NFL head coach has been fired. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Houston Texans fired head coach David Culley after being hired by the team last season. Schefter also reported that offensive coordinator Tim Kelly was fired by the Texans. This was a surprising move for Culley as he said he expected to be back next season despite the team finishing 2021 with a 4-13 record.
“I haven’t had any questions or doubts at all about what’s getting ready to happen,” Culley said after the Texans’ 28-25 loss to the Tennessee Titans, per ESPN. “I’m looking forward to being the head coach of this football team next year. Haven’t thought about it one minute.”
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When Culley was hired, he became the NFL’s oldest first-time head coach at 65. He was the only Black head coach hired last offseason, and with him now being fired, the only Black head coach in the NFL is Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Prior to joining the Texans, Culley spent 43 years as an assistant in college football and the NFL.
When Culley took the job, he had to deal with several issues, including the drama with the Texans and quarterback DeShaun Watson, who asked for a trade before being hit with 23 sexual assault lawsuits. Culley also had a depleted roster, and the team only had just one first-round pick in the last four seasons.
“I feel like we needed to win some more ballgames,” Culley said after the regular-season finale. “I thought like there were some ballgames that we had that we could have won that we didn’t win. Basically, I’m just looking forward to this offseason and moving forward.”
Culley previously was the assistant head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. He also spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Culley was the fifth head coach to be fired this week as Matt Nagy (Chicago Bears), Mike Zimmer (Minnesota Vikings), Brian Flores (Miami Dolphins) and Joe Judge (New York Giants) were all let go. As for who will be the next head coach for the Texans, New England Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo is expected to emerge as a leading candidate for the position.
