Assistant head coach Romeo Crennel will take charge of the Texans for the remainder of the season
Tuesday 6 October 2020 12:03, UK
The Houston Texans have fired head coach and general manager Bill O'Brien after a disappointing 0-4 start to the season.
Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair said the team is "moving in a different direction" and promoted assistant head coach Romeo Crennel to interim coach for the rest of the 2020 season.
McNair said in a news release on Monday: "On behalf of my family and our entire organisation, I want to sincerely thank Bill O'Brien and his family for their impact on our franchise.
"Bill's leadership moved our organisation forward as he guided us to four AFC South division championships, 52 wins and multiple playoff appearances during his tenure.
"Bill proved himself as a coach and leader in this league.
"I spoke with him earlier today and told him we are moving in a different direction.
"Romeo Crennel will serve as our interim head coach for the remainder of the 2020 season.
"We have a talented team and I have no doubt our players and staff will rally to make Texans fans proud, as we aim to win championships and do great things for the city of Houston."
O'Brien, 50, was previously offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots and head coach at Penn State University.
The Texans reached the playoffs in four of his six full seasons and O'Brien was 52-48 in 100 regular-season games as an NFL head coach. Houston went 2-4 in the playoffs under the head coach.
O'Brien came in for criticism earlier this offseason when he traded star wide receiver to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for running back David Johnson. This came a year after former No 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney was traded to the Seattle Seahawks prior to the 2019 season.
Despite the high-profile departures, the Texans franchise is reportedly spending a league-high $255m on its on-field roster in 2020.
Executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby is expected to be a key figure in the decision on the team's next head coach after being brought in by McNair in January.
Crennel has head coaching experience with the Cleveland Browns (2005-08) and Kansas City Chiefs (2011-12), with whom he produced 24-40 and 4-15 records with, respectively. The 73-year-old originally joined Houston's staff as the defensive coordinator in 2014.
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