5 candidates for Houston Texans' head coaching job

There was so much outrage that Bieniemy didn't get a head coaching job last offseason that the NFL considered a rule proposal that would improve the team's third-round pick if they hired a minority head coach. It feels like it's just a matter of where he gets a job this offseason, and independent of the lack of minority head coaches in the NFL, Bieniemy is more than qualified. A former NFL running back, Bieniemy has been on Andy Reid's staff in Kansas City since 2013. He's been the offensive coordinator since 2018, the season that Patrick Mahomes took over as starter. The only question about his candidacy is if the 51-year-old would want this job, when he figures to get interest from multiple teams.

It's always felt like a matter of time before Riley jumps to the NFL, and until he does, he's going to be linked to every opening. Oklahoma is off to an underwhelming 1-2 start in 2020, but they've made the College Football Playoffs in each of the last three seasons. Riley has gotten the best out of Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts at the college level, drastically improving the NFL stock of all three. Whether he would want this job or not is unclear, but the chance to work with Watson could intrigue the 37-year-old. It should also be noted that he's a Texas native.

Connor Orr of Sports Illustrated noted before the 2020 season that Eberflus "is a favorite in coaching circles," and the fact that the Colts have the No. 1 overall defense in the NFL through the first four weeks of the season certainly doesn't hurt his prospects. The Texans have the worst rush defense in the NFL through the first quarter of this season, so if they are unable to correct that as their schedule becomes more manageable, a defensive-minded head coach could be of interest.

While proximity to greatness isn't always the best way to determine whether someone will make a good coach on their own, Daboll has experience working under Bill Belichick and Nick Saban, arguably the two greatest coaches in the history of the sport. What's more intriguing than that, though, is that Josh Allen has developed into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL under his tutelage. The 45-year-old could build a pretty exciting offense with Deshaun Watson at quarterback.

Roman has built exciting offenses led by Colin Kaepernick and Lamar Jackson, two extremely talented but perhaps not prototypical quarterbacks. The Ravens may need to prove that they can come from behind and win games for Roman to get a head coaching job, but there's little doubt that he could have success with Watson.