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Why was O'Brien fired by the Texans?
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:00 pm
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:00 pm
What were his strengths and weaknesses as a HC?
Does he have any history of recruiting success?
Just wondering if there is any basis for concluding that he is actually being considered for the job.
Does he have any history of recruiting success?
Just wondering if there is any basis for concluding that he is actually being considered for the job.
This post was edited on 11/19/21 at 1:01 pm

Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:21 pm to DmitriKaramazov
quote:
Why was O'Brien fired by the Texans?
Houston resident here, so I'll take a stab at this. *cracks knuckles*
The BoB era for the Houston Texans is referred to around here as "New England Patriots Cover Band," which in some ways is still continuing albeit differently. BoB came in promisingly enough, having turned around Penn State, and was pretty well-supported at first. He was a decent coach, offense-minded, building a team that consistently was in the mix to win their division and make the playoffs. But...
The success is what bred the cancer. As a result of success, he demanded more power - more input on the roster, salary-cap issues, draft picks, etc. He managed to oust the GM who helped build the roster (Rick Smith) through a power struggle, making himself and a mysterious figure named Jack Easterby the de facto GM after Smith resigned. Also during this time, Bob McNair (owner) passed away, leaving his not-as-much-of-a-leader son Cal McNair in a CEO role with the team. Power vacuum, power struggle...yeah.
All of this dysfunction earned him the official role of the GM/ HC. (a la Bill Belichick) Coming off a mediocre season hampered by trades for Laremy Tunsil and a few others that lost a lot of draft capital when he was de facto, he then traded away the (at that time) #1 or #2 wide receiver in the NFL (Deandre Hopkins) for a past-his-prime RB and a couple of mid-tier draft picks. Hopkins was incredibly popular in Houston, so the fan base and the locker room had a collective fit. (History will likely show this to have been the worst trade ever made in the NFL) It didn't help that, over the course of this process, he got more and more combative with the media as they asked him hard questions. He is no Belichick, with the monotonous tone and piercing look that makes people feel silly. Defensiveness is an unattractive character trait for a toddler, much less for a grown man running an NFL franchise.
Having lost the fanbase, the media, and the locker room, 2020 was win-or-go-home. After starting 0-4, not-so-great-a-leader Cal McNair had no choice but to fire him.
A move roughly 2 years too late.
All Replies (39)
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:02 pm to DmitriKaramazov
Bill O'Brien compared Hopkins to Aaron Hernandez because he felt Hopkins was a locker room cancer because he had too many "baby mamas."
That should tell you all you need to know about BoB.
That should tell you all you need to know about BoB.
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:03 pm to DmitriKaramazov
BoB would be a terrible hire. Just leave it at that. His name is an obvious smokescreen.
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:03 pm to DmitriKaramazov
Well he was the GM as well and was basically sabotaging the team with his stupid arse trades.
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:06 pm to DmitriKaramazov
The dude is a cancer. I live in Houston and want NO part of BoB
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:07 pm to DmitriKaramazov
Caught fingering his chin
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:09 pm to DmitriKaramazov
He traded DHop for a second rounder and a decrepit David Johnson. He should’ve been fired immediately after that move
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:12 pm to MasterAbe1
The great thing about BOB is that the can’t go 10-6 and loose in the first round of the playoffs in College football
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:17 pm to DmitriKaramazov
He was a terrible GM.
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:19 pm to DmitriKaramazov
He was a terrible GM but a solid coach, he did make the playoffs twice in an admittedly shitty division but with horrendous QBs like Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallette and Osweiler
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:21 pm to DmitriKaramazov
quote:
Why was O'Brien fired by the Texans?
Houston resident here, so I'll take a stab at this. *cracks knuckles*
The BoB era for the Houston Texans is referred to around here as "New England Patriots Cover Band," which in some ways is still continuing albeit differently. BoB came in promisingly enough, having turned around Penn State, and was pretty well-supported at first. He was a decent coach, offense-minded, building a team that consistently was in the mix to win their division and make the playoffs. But...
The success is what bred the cancer. As a result of success, he demanded more power - more input on the roster, salary-cap issues, draft picks, etc. He managed to oust the GM who helped build the roster (Rick Smith) through a power struggle, making himself and a mysterious figure named Jack Easterby the de facto GM after Smith resigned. Also during this time, Bob McNair (owner) passed away, leaving his not-as-much-of-a-leader son Cal McNair in a CEO role with the team. Power vacuum, power struggle...yeah.
All of this dysfunction earned him the official role of the GM/ HC. (a la Bill Belichick) Coming off a mediocre season hampered by trades for Laremy Tunsil and a few others that lost a lot of draft capital when he was de facto, he then traded away the (at that time) #1 or #2 wide receiver in the NFL (Deandre Hopkins) for a past-his-prime RB and a couple of mid-tier draft picks. Hopkins was incredibly popular in Houston, so the fan base and the locker room had a collective fit. (History will likely show this to have been the worst trade ever made in the NFL) It didn't help that, over the course of this process, he got more and more combative with the media as they asked him hard questions. He is no Belichick, with the monotonous tone and piercing look that makes people feel silly. Defensiveness is an unattractive character trait for a toddler, much less for a grown man running an NFL franchise.
Having lost the fanbase, the media, and the locker room, 2020 was win-or-go-home. After starting 0-4, not-so-great-a-leader Cal McNair had no choice but to fire him.
A move roughly 2 years too late.
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:22 pm to DmitriKaramazov
I live in Houston so got to see him first hand. Most people here couldn’t stand the guy.
Very arrogant and the type that thinks he is smarter than everyone else….even though he didn’t win anything.
He destroyed the team with idiotic trades as well.
The guy is bad news. Not a winner and very unlikeable is not a good combo.
Very arrogant and the type that thinks he is smarter than everyone else….even though he didn’t win anything.
He destroyed the team with idiotic trades as well.
The guy is bad news. Not a winner and very unlikeable is not a good combo.
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:23 pm to Ocardowin
quote:
Bill O'Brien compared Hopkins to Aaron Hernandez because he felt Hopkins was a locker room cancer because he had too many "baby mamas."

Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:23 pm to dandan
Had issues massaging the salary cap
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:27 pm to linewar
quote:
linewar
Interesting history. Thanks.
I do note that no one here is coming to OBrien's defense. That's somewhat ominous.
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:33 pm to DmitriKaramazov
He traded Deandre Hopkins for David Johnson
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:33 pm to DmitriKaramazov
quote:
Interesting history. Thanks.
Possibly the craziest part is that he's a decent coach - maybe even a really good one. But short of a revolutionary character change, being good is what ultimately makes him bad.
It's important to note that he didn't stay at Penn State long enough for this process to play out. Penn State was always his stepping stone to get back to the NFL as a HC and work his Belichick 2.0 plan.
LSU does not/ should not/ BETTER NOT try to be an Alabama cover band. There's already one little brother in the SEC in College Station, no need for another.
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:35 pm to Ocardowin
quote:
Bill O'Brien compared Hopkins to Aaron Hernandez because he felt Hopkins was a locker room cancer because he had too many "baby mamas."
That should tell you all you need to know about BoB.
I can't see recruits lining up to play for him as a HC.
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:36 pm to DmitriKaramazov
He's Not Worth A Dam
Posted on 11/19/21 at 1:47 pm to DmitriKaramazov
O’Brien was. And is too full of himself. He lost the team long ago, insulted his best players, traded away anyone with a pulse and hired terrible assistants. He might have been good as an assistant under Belichek but he was way over his head in .Houston. Don’t want.
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