AP source: Texans hire Ravens assistant Culley as coach

Updated Jan. 27, 2021 11:02 p.m. ET

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HOUSTON (AP) — David Culley has been hired as the coach of the Houston Texans, a person familiar with the hiring told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because the hiring hasn’t been announced.

It will be the first head coaching job for the 65-year-old Culley, who has worked as an assistant for the Baltimore Ravens since 2019.

He becomes the fourth coach in Texans history, replacing Bill O’Brien, who was fired after the team opened the season 0-4.

The Texans interviewed Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Indianapolis defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Buffalo assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, Detroit coach Jim Caldwell, former Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis and Carolina offensive coordinator Joe Brady before landing on Culley.

Houston’s coaching search has been under scrutiny after the team did not initially request to interview Bieniemy, and Sports Illustrated reported that the decision upset Deshaun Watson. The quarterback was already unhappy that owner Cal McNair did not take his opinion into account when hiring general manager Nick Caserio, according to reports from ESPN and the NFL Network. Houston requested to interview Bieniemy after reports surfaced that Watson was upset.

Culley has worked as an NFL assistant since 1994, also spending time with Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Kansas City and Buffalo. He began his career as a college assistant and spent 1991-93 at Texas A&M.

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