Kevin Sumlin, Ken Whisenhunt, Mike Shanahan other options for Houston Texans?
Texas A&M Aggies head coach Kevin Sumlin is still a possible target for Houston Texans.
Since the day the Houston Texans fired Gary Kubiak, former Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith has been tossed around as a candidate for the Texans. Owner Bob McNair and the rest of the organization is preparing a thorough head coaching search, and it was reported earlier today that Smith will be the Texans first interview.
But Smith isn’t he only name to watch for, and CBS Sports’s Jason La Canfora reports three more interesting names that we should keep a close eye on with regards to the Houston Texans coaching source.
Although Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin recently signed a contract extension, the Texans could still coax the head man from the nearby college football powerhouse. Sumlin is still a distinct possibility for the Texans, and La Canfora reports that McNair “has a strong affinity” for the A&M football coach. While hiring Sumlin isn’t a likely scenario for the Texans, it would be unwise for fans to rule out the possibility of the Texans poaching him away from the college ranks.
Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt is also a potential candidate, as La Canfora reports that Whisenhunt “could end up” on the Texans head-coaching radar. Whisenhunt’s ability to oversee an offense makes him a more logical candidate than Smith, who also has major differences with elite defensive coordinator Wade Phillips regarding how to schematically manage a defense.
Even though Mike Shanahan hasn’t been fired from the Washington Redskins, it’s becoming increasingly clear that there is a strong likelihood that Shanahan leaves or is fired. Per a report this morning from ESPN’s Dan Graziano , it sounds like Shanahan is upset with the Redskins organization (specifically, incompetent owner Dan Snyder), and I think that Shanahan should leave.
The Texans would be a more attractive team for Shanahan, since they have more pieces to work with than the Redskins, even if they don’t have a quarterback as talented as Robert Griffin III. If Shanahan is fired, then watch closely for possible landing spots for him, and the Texans would make an awful lot of sense for Shanahan. As La Canfora notes, the Texans scheme under Gary Kubiak was very similar to Shanahan’s schemes, as Kubiak worked under Shanahan in Denver. If Shanahan leaves the Redskins, then Shanahan-Texans is a match worth watching for closely.