With offensive coordinator George Godsey now out of the organization, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien is going to have at least one new high-level assistant on his staff next season. He could end up on the search for a defensive coordinator, too, as Romeo Crennel‘s contract is up. Crennel intends to coach again next season at the age of 70, and the Texans want to retain him, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
“Romeo’s done a great job,” O’Brien said Monday. “I know we’d love to have him back. I haven’t sat down with any coaches yet, but I can tell you Romeo’s a great coach. He means a lot to me personally, and we’d love to have Romeo back.”
Crennel has been atop the Texans’ defense since 2014, and the unit has ranked between sixth and eighth in DVOA all three seasons on his watch. Houston also led the NFL in yardage allowed in 2016, which was no small feat given that end J.J. Watt – the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year – only played in three games and went on injured reserve in late September. The Crennel-led, Watt-less Texans had other stars emerge, including end Jadeveon Clowney and cornerback A.J. Bouye (like Crennel, he’s also without a contract), while linebacker Whitney Mercilus‘ excellence continued.
If the Texans aren’t able to work out a deal with Crennel heading into 2017, it’s possible he could join another staff. However, as PFR’s Coordinator Tracker shows, only the Redskins and Chargers are currently without defensive chiefs. The likelihood is that the 49ers will also be on the lookout for a coordinator after they hire a new head coach. For Crennel, taking over another team’s defense would mean doing so for a fifth franchise. Along with Houston, he has been a D-coordinator in Cleveland, New England and Kansas City.
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