Coaches | Houston Texans - HoustonTexans.com

Chris Strausser is entering his second season as the Texans offensive line coach after being hired in 2023. Strausser owns 35 years of coaching experience and spent four seasons (2019-22) in the AFC South working in the same role with the Indianapolis Colts.

Chris Strausser is entering his second season as the Texans offensive line coach after being hired in 2023. Strausser owns 35 years of coaching experience and spent four seasons (2019-22) in the AFC South working in the same role with the Indianapolis Colts.

In his first season with the Texans, Strausser led an offensive line that started 10 different players, including two rookie centers, throughout the season and did not surrender a sack for three consecutive games (Weeks 3-5), setting the new franchise streak for most games without allowing a sack. Behind the Texans offensive line, RB Devin Singletary recorded three games this season with over 100 rushing yards, which was tied for the fourth-most in the NFL. LT Laremy Tunsil was named to his fourth career Pro Bowl and finished the 2023 season with the second-highest pass blocking grade among all offensive linemen (85.4). As a unit, Strausser's offensive line paved the way for a Texans offense that generated 41 passing plays of 25 yards or more, which ranked second in the NFL, trailing only the 49ers (45). Additionally, the club assisted rookie QB C.J. Stroud in completing one of the greatest seasons by a rookie in NFL history. Behind Strausser's staunch offensive line, Stroud completed 319-of-499 passes for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, five interceptions and a passer rating of 100.8, winning AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

During the 2022 season, Strausser oversaw an offensive line that sent OL Quenton Nelson to his fifth-consecutive Pro Bowl appearance and helped OL Braden Smith receive a 75.5 overall blocking grade on Pro Football Focus, which was good for No. 21 among all NFL linemen (min. 1,000 snaps).

In 2021, Strausser led an offensive line unit that sent Nelson and OL Ryan Kelly to the Pro Bowl, marking the first time the Colts sent two offensive linemen to three consecutive Pro Bowls since 1987-89. Indianapolis' offense ranked second in rushing yards per game (149.4), tied for ninth in points per game (26.5) and tied for the ninth-fewest sacks allowed in the NFL. The 2021 season also marked the first time the Colts had a 1,000-yard rusher (Jonathan Taylor – 1,811) and 1,000-yard receiver (Michael Pittman, Jr. – 1,092) in the same season since 2016. Behind the Colts offensive line, Taylor had one of the best rushing seasons in team history, running for 1,811 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. He became the third player ever with a rushing touchdown in at least 11 consecutive games within a single season.

The 2020 offensive line unit tied for the second-fewest sacks allowed in the NFL, while also paving the way for Taylor to become the fifth rookie in franchise history to register over 1,000 yards rushing. Additionally, Nelson and Kelly earned first-team and second-team AP All-Pros honors respectively, the first time two Colts offensive lineman have earned that honor since 1988.

In Strausser's first season in Indianapolis (2019), he worked with an offensive line that started the same five players for the entire season, becoming the only team in the NFL to do so. The Colts rushing attack averaged 4.52 yards per carry, which was the fifth-highest single-season total in franchise history. RB Marlon Mack finished with the 11th-most rushing yards in the NFL, becoming the first Colts player to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark since 2016.

Before joining the Colts, Strausser spent two years (2017-18) with the Denver Broncos, serving as the tackles coach (2018) and assistant offensive line coach (2017). While in Denver, Strausser played a major role in the development of OL Garrett Boles, who was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team after becoming the fifth rookie in franchise history to start every game at left tackle.

Strausser coached at the collegiate level for 28 seasons before joining the Broncos staff, making major Division I stops at the University of Washington (2014-16), Boise State University (2001-05, 2007-13), University of Colorado (2006), San Jose State (1995-96) and Oregon State (1990-91), while also coaching at several non-FBS schools such as Portland State (1993-94, 2000), Foothill College (1997-99) Sonoma State (1992) and Menlo College (1989).

Strausser followed Chris Petersen to Washington from Boise State, where the Huskies posted a 25-14 record, highlighted by a 12-2 record in 2016. The 2016 Huskies ground attack was led by RB Myles Gaskin, who rushed for 1,373 yards and 10 touchdowns behind a Strausser-led offensive line. At Boise State, Strausser helped convert OL Matt Paradis from a defensive lineman to become a second-team All-Mountain West Conference selection in 2012 and 2013. Paradis went on to be selected by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round (207th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Strausser graduated from Chico State University in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in exercise and sport science, then earned a master's in education from Oregon State in 1991.

A Cleveland, Ohio native, Strausser and his wife, Cathy, have two daughters, Maeve and Sarah.

Pro Bowl Players Coached (2): T Laremy Tunsil (2023), OL Quenton Nelson (2019-22), OL Ryan Kelly (2019-21)

All-Pro Players Coached (1): OL Quenton Nelson (2019-20)