AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith
David Culley’s tenure as head coach of the Houston Texans has ended after just one season.
The Texans parted ways with the 66-year-old after the team went 4-13 in 2021.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Network was the first to report the news,
Coming off a difficult 2020 season that saw Bill O’Brien get fired after four games and Romeo Crennel take over on an interim basis, the Texans sought to bring some stability to the organization.
Culley was hired on Jan. 29 after a 27-year run as an assistant coach in the NFL. He spent the previous two seasons as the assistant head coach, wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens on John Harbaugh’s staff.
The Texans’ situation was complicated by quarterback Deshaun Watson requesting a trade during the offseason.
Watson was subsequently accused of sexual assault and sexual misconduct by 24 women. Twenty-two active civil lawsuits have been filed against the 26-year-old. Ten women, eight of whom have filed lawsuits, have brought criminal complaints.
Houston kept Watson inactive for the entire 2021 season because of his ongoing legal situation.
Culley was given a difficult task in his first stint as a head coach and did a decent job given how volatile the Texans have been.
Rookie quarterback Davis Mills showed some promise in 11 starts. The third-rounder out of Stanford threw for 2,664 yards, 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 66.8 percent of his attempts.
The Texans need to pick a direction and give their next head coach an opportunity to build if they want to get out of the AFC South cellar in the near future. They are going to have the No. 3 overall pick in 2022 to find a potential franchise player.
