History will be made Sunday in Houston. When the Texans host the division-rival Jaguars in Week 5, Romeo Crennel will become the oldest NFL head coach of all time, one-upping Bears legend George Halas, who coached until he was 72 (h/t to Mike Florio of ProFootballFocus). Crennel, who turned 73 over the summer, was named Houston’s interim coach after owner Cal McNair relieved Bill O’Brien of both his coaching and general manager duties earlier this week.
A long-time defensive coordinator in the league, Crennel was one of O’Brien’s first hires when he accepted the Texans’ job in 2014. This will be Crennel’s third NFL head-coaching stint following previous tenures with Cleveland and Kansas City. Like O’Brien, Crennel also sprouted from the Bill Belichick coaching tree. Crennel is no doubt one of the most respected leaders and defensive minds in football, though he doesn’t sport the greatest track record as a head coach, posting a winning record just once in five seasons with a lifetime mark of 28-55.
Even if the winless Texans somehow turn their season around under Crennel, it’s unlikely he’d return to the head-coaching chair in 2021. The Texans figure to cast a wide net in their coaching search with Eric Bieniemy, Brian Daboll, Josh McDaniels and Lincoln Riley each emerging as likely candidates.
Though the Texans had some success under O’Brien, qualifying for the playoffs on four occasions, his act had worn thin with players, many of whom were “relieved” by Monday’s shakeup. Even locker-room leader J.J. Watt (whose reported feud with O’Brien may have been the impetus for his departure) admitted it was time for a “fresh start.”
Between his explosive temper (as noted by beat reporters John McClain and Aaron Wilson, both of the Houston Chronicle) and tendency to alienate stars like Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and DeAndre Hopkins (who he eventually traded for pennies on the dollar), the Texans must have known their ill-fated O’Brien experiment wouldn’t end well. Predictably, it didn't.
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