Houston’s QB issue falls on new coach Culley
The Texans have brought Deshaun Watson to his knees and now the QB says he wants to be traded.
HOUSTON — David Culley has been hired as the coach of the Houston Texans, a person familiar with the hiring told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because the hiring hasn’t been announced.
It will be the first head coaching job for the 65-yearold Culley, who has worked as an assistant for the Baltimore Ravens since 2019.
He becomes the fourth coach in Texans history, replacing Bill O’Brien, who was fired after the team opened the season 0-4.
The Texans interviewed Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Indianapolis defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Buffalo assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, Detroit coach Jim Caldwell, former Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis and Carolina offensive coordinator Joe Brady before landing on Culley.
Houston’s coaching search has been under scrutiny after the team did not initially request to interview Bieniemy, and Sports Illustrated reported that the decision upset Deshaun Watson. The quarterback was already unhappy that owner Cal McNair did not take his opinion into account when hiring general manager Nick
Caserio, according to reports from ESPN and the NFL Network. Houston requested to interview Bieniemy after reports surfaced that Watson was upset.
Culley has worked as an NFL assistant since 1994, also spending time with Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Kansas City and Buffalo. He began his career as a college assistant and spent 1991-93 at Texas A&M.
SHAQ BOWL
Fans looking for pregame entertainment before the Super Bowl will have another option this year.
Shaquille O’Neal will be holding the virtual SHAQ Bowl on Feb. 7. It’s one of the few events taking place in Tampa, Florida, since many parties that traditionally take place during Super Bowl week have been canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The SHAQ Bowl takes the place of Shaq’s Fun House, which had been held the past two years in Atlanta and Miami.
The three-hour special begins at 3 p.m. ET and will be available on Facebook and SHAQBowl.com. It will also be on LiveXLive across 20-plus platforms including YouTube, Twitch, TikTok and Twitter.