Jaguars will interview ex-Texans coach, Alabama OC Bill O'Brien for head coach opening

NFL teams, get your trade offers ready.

Bill O'Brien, whose time with the Houston Texans fell apart as he took power and other teams swindled him in trades, rehabilitated himself quickly. He guided an Alabama offense that is in the College Football Playoff title game, and quarterback Bryce Young won a Heisman Trophy.

His reputation got rebuilt so fast that the Jacksonville Jaguars will interview him for their head-coaching job.

John Reid, Jaguars beat reporter for the Florida Times-Union, said O'Brien will interview next week. That will surely assuage all those angry Jaguars fans.

Bill O'Brien on Jaguars' radar

While O'Brien became a punchline at the end of his time with the Texans, and played a big role in the hole the team finds itself in now, it's worth taking a fair look at his resume.

O'Brien had success as an offensive assistant and ultimately coordinator with the New England Patriots, which led to him getting the head-coaching job at Penn State. He took over that job in the middle of a scandal surrounding the school's former defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky, and was lauded for the job he did there. That led to him getting the Texans job.

While it fell apart at the end, O'Brien had some success in Houston. He won four division titles in his first six NFL seasons, often with big quarterback questions. Some of the questions he had input in, like signing Brock Osweiler, but he still had a 52-48 record overall in Houston.

Of course, that's not what he's remembered for.

O'Brien's Texans tenure ended poorly

The Texans traded DeAndre Hopkins for practically nothing, and gave away plenty of draft picks too. O'Brien was in over his head running the personnel side and that ended up being his downfall. He was fired after an 0-4 start to the 2020 season.

O'Brien has done a fine job with Alabama's offense, though it always helps to be coaching a seemingly endless line of five-star recruits. The Jaguars are coming off the disastrous hire of Urban Meyer. That's why it's a little surprising they're interested in O'Brien, who probably won't be a popular hire. The only good part is he wouldn't be general manager, because owner Shad Khan already made the unpopular decision to retain Trent Baalke.

The Jaguars seem to be willing to interview plenty of candidates this time around. O'Brien might not be the favorite to get the job. It's just remarkable how quickly he's back in the NFL head-coaching carousel.