Titans Coaching Candidates: Getting To Know Texans OC Bobby Slowik
NASHVILLE — Bobby Slowik's ascent to hot candidate for coaching jobs with five NFL teams, including the Tennessee Titans, seems like an overnight success story.
After all, Slowik, 36, is the offensive coordinator who has played a leading role in two big NFL storylines this year: the rise of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and the last-to-first season of the Houston Texans.
But upon closer examination, Slowik has been working toward this recognition for 12 years when he had a career-altering conversation with a Super Bowl champion coach.
Slowik's father, Bob, is a well-known coach in the NFL, college, and Canadian Football League. And he and Mike Shanahan, two-time champion as coach of the Denver Broncos, are friends.
Bobby played college football at Michigan Tech as a wide receiver. He also studied biomedical engineering and intended to work in that field. Football was a means to get an education. Until Shanahan suggested that he explore coaching.
"So Bobby just started thinking about it and decided that's what he was going to do," Bobby's mom, Caroline Slowik, said to the Houston Chronicle. "He took an interest in it, and the rest is history."
Shanahan also gave Slowik a job — three seasons as a defensive assistant with the Washington Football Team.
After Shanahan and staff were fired in 2013, Slowik took a unique detour as an analyst for Pro Football Focus. Slowik found that his time with PFF allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of football, which he could use to teach others.
"They almost tried to take what I was used to watching as far as subjectivity and objectivity and flipped it on its head," Slowik said. "I learned a lot. There are many different ways to look at the game. There are many different ways to break it down. A lot of different angles you can take as far as how you splice it up."
His next stop was four years with the San Francisco 49ers, working for Mike Shanahan's son Kyle as an offensive assistant and, ultimately, passing game coordinator.
Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans recognized Slowik's sharpness and attention to detail when they worked together as assistants for the Niners. Ryans also noticed Slowik's ability to break down film.
“I didn’t know anything about breaking down film and all these things,” Ryans said to the Houston Chronicle. “So his willingness to help me to figure it out is one thing that stood out to me.
“He wasn’t selfish in that regard. He was willing to show me the ropes of how it’s done. So I’ve always been appreciative to Bobby for that, for accepting me with open arms, like ‘Hey, this is how it goes.’”
Slowik has been celebrated for his work with the Texans in his first season as a play-caller. Houston was the unexpected winner of the AFC South and won a playoff game against the Cleveland Browns.
Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud excelled under Slowik's guidance, throwing 23 touchdowns and only five interceptions.
Stroud is the overwhelming favorite for the NFL Rookie Of The Year award and gives lofty praise to Slowik for the team going from three wins last year to the playoffs.
"When he call, we ball. He knew to mix it up a little bit," Stroud told reporters after last week's win against the Cleveland Browns. "We wanted to throw the ball early just to set the tone that we would not shy away from anything. When you have an OC that's going to be aggressive and take care of the football, really that's a recipe for success."
Slowik, Stroud, and the Texans ran into a wall last weekend in Baltimore, where they failed to score an offensive touchdown against a Ravens defense coached by Mike Macdonald — also a candidate for the Titans job.
But that setback aside, Slowik is a compelling candidate for the Titans, who need a mentor for their second-year quarterback Will Levis.
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