Curtailing his temper
O’Brien growing more media savvy, no longer out to kill the messenger
He’s not yet an old softie, but Bill O’Brien is mellowing.
Bill O’Brien doesn’t like to lose. He takes it personally. O’Brien doesn’t like to get embarrassed. He takes that personally, too. As the Texans’ third-year coach, O’Brien holds himself accountable for his team’s performance.
When the Texans play poorly, it’s a reflection of O’Brien’s coaching.
When the Texans win, he deflects the praise. When they lose, he takes the blame.
The Arizona Cardinals are in Houston for the third preseason game Sunday, and their appearance brings back memories of the first time O’Brien was on the Texans’ sideline.
It was Aug. 9, 2014, the preseason opener at Arizona. To say the Texans were pathetic would be an understatement.
The Texans trailed 17-0 in the first quarter and 20-0 at halftime. They lost 32-0.
The Texans were so bad starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick had a 14.6 rating, and they generated 82 yards passing. They were 0-for-8 on third down and committed 13 penalties for 126 yards.
Their worst play may have been a nonplay. On the first play of the second half, they were called for delay of game.
The Texans had the ball for 17 minutes, 53 seconds compared to Arizona’s 42:07.
In the interview room at University of Phoenix Stadium, O’Brien was in no mood to discuss his team’s performance.
As soon as he walked through the door, it was apparent to everyone that O’Brien was infuriated. He had a red-faced scowl, and he didn’t try to mask his feelings: anger, frustration and embarrassment.
O’Brien was quick to the point: bad coaching and bad playing. Time for a couple of questions he didn’t want to hear, and he was out of there.
It wasn’t exactly a tirade. O’Brien didn’t pound the podium and howl, “The Cardinals are who we thought they were,” but it was short and unsweet and certainly not what the reporters needed for our stories.
“I don’t really remember that,” O’Brien said about his first postgame news conference. “I think I’ve gotten better.”
No encore of angry postgame debut
Yes, he has gotten better. The fact that he can look back and laugh at first postgame news conference is one example of how far he has come as an NFL coach.
“I remember we didn’t play or coach well in the first half, and I was not happy about that,” he said. “Halftime was rather interesting. It was not a good first outing.”
The Texans recovered to beat San Francisco in the next game. They went on to finish 9-7 in O’Brien’s first season and equaled that record in 2015 when they won the AFC South.
O’Brien has finished second and tied for third in NFL Coach of the Year voting in his first two seasons.
No matter how bad the Texans have played — like last year’s regularseason losses to Atlanta and Miami and the playoff rout by Kansas City — O’Brien has never had a repeat postgame performance like after that Arizona game.
O’Brien is still tough on his players, but he has learned the media takes his message to fans who pay the freight, including sponsors and suite holders.
“I don’t think I’ve changed,” he said. “I think it’s important to make sure you’re calm and thoughtful when you talk to the media. For the most part, I think I am. But I’m an emotional guy, and I want the team to do well. That’s the way I’ve always been.
“Emotion is a big part of football. I really like coaching this team. I really like being around the players. I want to see our guys do well. Sometimes you see that come out in a press conference.”
If we want to get that patented O’Brien stare when he looks into the distance be- cause he doesn’t want to answer a question, we ask about injuries. He would rather lose the rest of his hair than address an injury because he believes disclosing too much can be a competitive disadvantage.
‘You’re a conduit to the fans’
But O’Brien knows injury questions are coming. Sometimes he deals with them better than others. When a player limps off the field or is carted into the dressing room, everyone wants information.
When a player plays well, O’Brien is asked about him. When a player doesn’t play well, he’s asked about that, too.
“I realize I’m going to get certain questions based on how the game went,” he said. “One thing about the media sessions is you definitely need to take a deep breath and realize you’ve got people in the media who are trying to do their jobs.
“That’s one thing I’ve really tried to improve on. I know you guys have a job to do. You’re asking the questions that need to be ask because you’re a conduit to the fans. I understand that. Obviously, it’s a lot easier after winning than losing.”
Dealing with the media is part of the job. Not the most important, of course, but still necessary.
With the start of regular season two weeks away, it will be interesting to watch O’Brien and witness his range of emotions as the Texans try to repeat as AFC South champions and win their first playoff game since 2012.