The Houston Texans fired David Culley on Thursday after just one season as the organization’s head coach. In a year filled with drama and controversy, the franchise wanted to start the 2022 campaign on a fresh note, with a new leader at the helm on the field.
According to multiple reports, the Texans already have one candidate in mind to fill their newly created vacancy. That candidate is former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores.
The Dolphins fired Flores in a shocking move on Monday after he led the organization to the playoffs in 2020 and won eight of his last nine games in 2021. Widely regarded as one of the best available options during this hiring cycle, the 40-year-old is now expected to be the top choice for the Texans.
According to insider Tom Pelissero, one major reason for Houston’s interest in Flores is his history with general manager Nick Caserio.
“Something else that changed for the Texans over the past couple of weeks is that someone with an existing relationship with Nick Caserio became available. That of course is coach Brian Flores, who was fired on Monday by the Miami Dolphins,” Pelissero said on NFL Network Thursday. “I would anticipate that the Texans are going to run a targeted search here. They’re going to move swiftly and certainly Flores is one name to consider here.”
More from our breaking news segment on the firing of #Texans coach David Culley and one name to watch as a potential replacement: Brian Flores. @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/n0anCn0r3L
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 13, 2022
Texans reporter Aaron Wilson shared shortly after the firing that the Texans are indeed targeting Flores as their “top candidate” at this time.
Texans are targeting former Dolphins coach Brian Flores as their top candidate at this time, according to multiple league sources. He has a strong relationship with Nick Caserio.
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 13, 2022
Caserio and Flores spent over a decade together with the New England Patriots during the 2010’s. Caserio, who took over the Texans GM job in 2020, was New England’s director of player personnel, while Flores worked as a defensive assistant under Bill Belichick.
Flores managed to accomplished quite a bit in Miami during his three seasons and showed ample improvement during his time with the franchise. After the Dolphins went 5-11 in his first year at the helm, the NFC East club went 19-14 over the last two seasons.
The Texans, who finished at 4-13 in 2021, are one of eight teams looking for a new head coach this offseason.
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