The Houston Texans took the next step in their ongoing head coach and general manager search. Along with search firm Korn Ferry, the Texans will also get feedback from leaders in the sports industry to help in the hiring process.
Chairman and CEO Cal McNair sent out a letter to season-ticket members announcing the advisors' names. It includes former All-Pro wide receiver Andre Johnson, Pro Football Hall of Fame coaches Tony Dungy and Jimmy Johnson, San Antonio Spurs CEO R.C. Buford, and Rod Graves, the Executive Director of Fritz Pollard Alliance.
"The group involved in this search includes myself, Houston Texans President Jamey Rootes, and the search firm," McNair said in his statement.
McNair told Texans Radio last month that he wanted to rely on experts outside of the Texans "to get insights and wisdom on the process and how structures might look." After firing head coach and manager Bill O'Brien on October 5, the Texans named Romeo Crennel as interim head coach and Jack Easterby, who joined the team in April 2019 as executive vice president of team development, as interim general manager for the remainder of the 2020 season.
"We will evaluate internally the feedback from these advisors and take the time we need to decide what is best for the Texans organization," McNair said. "We will consider any input we receive, but at the end of the day, my mom and I will decide who will lead our football team into the future."
Dungy played in the NFL from 1977-1980, and was the head coach of Tampa Bay from 1996-2001. He spent 2002-2008 as the Colts head coach, where he guided Indianapolis to the 2006 Super Bowl. Currently, he's a studio analyst for NBC's "Football Night in America".
Johnson, meanwhile, won the 1987 NCAA title as the head coach of the Miami Hurricanes. During his five years in South Florida, the 'Canes went 52-9 and played in a New Year's Day bowl game every season. He moved on to the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys in 1989, going from 1-15 his first season there to a pair of Super Bowl titles in 1992 and 1993. He also coached the Miami Dolphins from 1996-99. He's been a studio analyst for the NFL on FOX since 2002.
Buford has been with the Spurs since 1988, and their general manager since 2002. In that span as GM, San Antonio won NBA titles in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014.
Johnson played for the Texans from 2003-2014, and holds a slew of franchise receiving records. He's the only player in the franchises Ring of Honor.
Graves, meanwhile, is a Houstonian. He went to high school at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, and then college at Texas Tech. From 2002-2012 he was the general manager of the Arizona Cardinals.
