(SportsRadio 610) - The Texans' search for a new head coach could take two or three weeks, general manager Nick Caserio said this week on SportsRadio 610.
As of Thursday night, there were at least eight candidates the Texans were linked to, including their first virtual interview with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Former New Orleans Saints Super Bowl winning coach Sean Payton is also among the list of candidates to interview with the Texans.
When Caserio joined Payne & Pendergast on Wednesday morning, he addressed the concern that the Texans' credibility would in question.
The Texans are 11-38-1 over the last three seasons. They are searching for their fourth head coach in as many seasons and third under Caserio's leadership.
Between the coaching carousel, everything that led up to Deshaun Watson's departure, and serious concerns about the front office stability, there is a perception high-level candidates would shy away from this job.
“Some of my conversations with agents and representatives about candidates who - their perceived not interested in the job, it couldn’t be further from the truth," Caserio said. "So when you actually talk to the representative about how excited they are to potentially interview, this is something they are encouraged by, that they look forward to. What you’re hearing is different than maybe what people are really saying.
"So, we can’t get really too caught up in what’s going on externally. Everybody has an opinion. Certainly, everybody’s entitled to their opinion. We understand that. That comes with the territory."
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Caserio does not seem to be under any illusions that these concerns would be unwarranted. Even with the assets that make it attractive becoming Texans coach in 2023 - the No. 2 and No. 12 overall picks, five selections in the top three rounds and cap space to entice free agents - Caserio has acknowledged they might need to have some tough conversations.
"Right, wrong or indifferent, this organization has been through a number of things over the last however many years," Caserio said. "There’s nothing we can do about it. I think we have to, I have to own it. We have to own it. And you just have to be honest. And if you don’t really have a definitive answer about what the outcome is going to be, you can’t tell them one thing and then hope it ends in a positive result. You just try to be honest, you try to be candid. And I think as it pertains to our process, it’s no different than when you look at your team - how you’re playing, is there something that we can do differently, is there an adjustment that we can make.
"So whether it’s a playing process, whether it’s an internal process, whether it’s a coaching search process, what are ways we can improve some of the things we’re doing? And if we had a better result, then we wouldn’t be having the conversation here currently. But the reality is we are. All we can do is acknowledge it. All we can do is own it. All we can do is try to improve it and try to make it better and that’s my commitment to the organization and that’s my commitment to fans and the city of Houston."
Brandon Scott is the editor for SportsRadio610.com. Follow him on Twitter @brandonkscott. Reach him directly via email: brandon.scott@audacy.com.
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