Texans Coach Search: What Would Eagles Coordinators Shane Steichen, Jonathan Gannon?
HOUSTON -- Next up: The Houston Texans plan to interview Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.
The Eagles have one of the top offenses in the NFL, and Steichen is regarded as a major reason why they’re clicking heading into the playoffs. He’s scheduled to interview Friday with the AFC South franchise, according to league sources, prior to interviews with the Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers.
The Texans also have an interview scheduled Saturday with Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. He's interviewed here twice and was a finalist in last year’s hiring cycle before the team chose Lovie Smith, who was fired after a 3-13-1 season.
Steichen is credited with aiding the development of Jalen Hurts as an MVP candidate.
“Yeah, it’s great,” Steichen said this season of his collaboration with Hurts. “The communication, any time you’re around somebody for a long time you get to know them. You get to know what he likes, you get to know what he’s good at. ... Then, you see great growth from it.”
The Texans have requested eight coaches for interviews, according to sources: Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Steichen, Gannon, New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who’s expected to interview as soon as Tuesday, in addition to requesting San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans and Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach and tight ends coach Thomas Brown.
A highly respected defensive strategist, Gannon ranks as a top candidate the Texans’ wish list for a potential new head coach with mutual interest between the Cleveland native and former Louisville safety and an organization bereft of a solution at head coach, according to multiple league sources.
Gannon could possibly assemble an experienced staff with his connections to former Colts coach Frank Reich and Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer and Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson.
Gannon interviewed with the Texans, Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings during the last hiring cycle.
Gannon “knocked it out of the park” and “crushed” his meetings with NFL teams, impressing them with his knowledge, creativity, detailed plans about strategy and staff and his passion for the game, according to league sources.
One member of an NFL search committee said of Gannon, who oversees an Eagles that boasts four players with at least 10 sacks: “He knows the answer before you even ask him the question.”
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