Chick Harris enters his 10th season as running backs coach for the Houston Texans. Harris, along with special teams coordinator Joe Marciano, is one of two coaches to have been with the team since its inception, boasts 30 years of NFL coaching experience. Eight running backs have eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in a season under Harris a collective 13 times.
Harris has turned in impressive coaching performances seemingly every year, no matter who is carrying the ball. But 2010 may have been his finest as both fullback Vonta Leach and running back Arian Foster earned AP First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors, with Foster leading the NFL with 1,616 yards rushing. Foster set a franchise season rushing record and a single-game record with 231 yards in the 2010 season opener against Indianapolis and led the NFL with 2,220 total yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns. Veteran Derrick Ward also helped Houston rushed for a franchise-record 2,042 yards, contributing 315 yards on 50 carries (6.3 average).
Chick Harris enters his 10th season as running backs coach for the Houston Texans. Harris, along with special teams coordinator Joe Marciano, is one of two coaches to have been with the team since its inception, boasts 30 years of NFL coaching experience. Eight running backs have eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in a season under Harris a collective 13 times.
Harris has turned in impressive coaching performances seemingly every year, no matter who is carrying the ball. But 2010 may have been his finest as both fullback Vonta Leach and running back Arian Foster earned AP First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors, with Foster leading the NFL with 1,616 yards rushing. Foster set a franchise season rushing record and a single-game record with 231 yards in the 2010 season opener against Indianapolis and led the NFL with 2,220 total yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns. Veteran Derrick Ward also helped Houston rushed for a franchise-record 2,042 yards, contributing 315 yards on 50 carries (6.3 average).
In 2009, the Texans had four backs each rush for at least 250 yards, led by Steve Slaton, who finished with 437 yards in an injury-shortened season. Veteran Ryan Moats rushed for a career-high 390 yards, while Foster, then a rookie, rushed for 216 of his 257 yards in the last two games.
In 2008, Slaton, then a rookie third-round draft pick, started the final 15 games and won the rookie rushing title with a franchise-record 1,282 yards. Slaton led all AFC players with 1,659 total yards from scrimmage, and his five 100-yard rushing days were also a team single-season record.
In 2007, Harris leaned on 2006 leading rusher Ron Dayne, who produced a team- and career-high 773 yards and six touchdowns. Rookie undrafted free agent Darius Walker came on late in the year and ran for 264 yards over the last four games.
In 2006, Dayne led a committee of running backs with 612 yards and five touchdowns, including a career-high 153 yards and two touchdowns to lead Houston to its first-ever win over Indianapolis. Houston was one of three teams to have three different players rush for at least 90 yards in a game, and the Texans were the only team that had a pair of rookies each top the 90-yard mark in a game.
Harris helped running back Domanick Williams earn the 2003 Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Year award and develop into a two-time 1,000-yard rusher. Williams, drafted in the fourth round in 2003, is the franchise’s all-time leading rusher with 3,195 career yards.
During Harris’ seven-year tenure with the Panthers, injuries forced the club to suit up a bevy of running backs, from Tshimanga Biakabutuka to Richard Huntley to Brad Hoover to Fred Lane to Anthony Johnson to Derrick Moore. Harris helped Carolina set an expansion record with seven wins in 1995 and also helped the Panthers reach the NFC Championship Game the following season.
Harris launched his NFL coaching career with the Buffalo Bills in 1981, coaching two seasons. He entered the coaching profession at Colorado State in 1970, coaching three seasons before heading to Long Beach State. After one season at Long Beach, Harris joined the Detroit Wheels of the World Football League in 1974. He then moved on to the University of Washington, where he spent six seasons, helping the Huskies to two bowl wins, including a Rose Bowl victory against Michigan.
Harris lettered in football and track at Northern Arizona, where he is a member of the Lumberjacks’ athletic hall of fame.
Born in Durham, N.C., Harris attended Long Beach (Calif.) Poly High School. He has a son, Tyler, and a daughter, Tarana. Harris and his wife, Karen, have a daughter, Kara. The family lives in Sugar Land.
HARRIS’ COACHING LEDGER
2002-11: Running Backs, Houston Texans
1995-01: Running Backs, Carolina Panthers
1994: Offensive Coordinator, Los Angeles Rams
1992-93: Running Backs, Los Angeles Rams
1983-91: Offensive Backfield, Seattle Seahawks
1981-82: Running Backs, Buffalo Bills
1975-80: Defensive Backs, University of Washington
1974: Wide Receivers, Detroit Wheels (World Football League)
1973: Wide Receivers, Long Beach State
1970-72: Wide Receivers, Colorado State
