On Monday, the first NFL coach of the year was fired in Houston's Bill O'Brien following the Texans starting the year 0-4.
O'Brien had been with the organization since 2014 and had just become general manager in addition to head coach this offseason. Prior to Houston he spent two years with Penn State, but before that he was with the Patriots from 2007-11.
The offensive-minded coach worked closely with Tom Brady during his time in New England and the Tampa Bay quarterback spoke out on his firing Monday night on Westwood One Radio with Jim Gray.
“That was really tough to see," Brady said. "I’ve known Billy I long time. I think he is a hell of a coach. I think he does a great job. He has great leadership ability and it’s a very difficult part of the profession. I’ve thought he’s done a great job in Houston over the years. Those guys really seemed to love playing for him.
"It is always tough when you see that happen, especially four games into the year. Four weeks ago everyone was so hopeful about what the season could become. You hate to see things transpire as they do. To lose a coach four games into the season, doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”
Former Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel will take over as interim head coach.
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