Texans hire Gaine as GM, give extension to O'Brien
The Houston Texans hired Brian Gaine as general manager and extended the contract of head coach Bill O'Brien, the team announced Saturday.
Both deals run through the 2022 season. Gaine signed a five-year deal and O'Brien was extended for four years.
Gaine, who is the third general manager in franchise history, spent the 2017 season as the Buffalo Bills' vice president of player personnel after serving as the Texans' director of player personnel from 2015-16 and director of pro personnel in 2014.
Gaine brings 19 years of NFL personnel experience to Houston, also spending time with the Miami Dolphins (2008-13), Dallas Cowboys (2005-07) and New York Jets (1999-2004).
"Our committee was unanimous in praise for Brian and we are all aligned on our philosophy on how to continue to build our roster and win a championship," Texans owner Bob McNair said in a statement. "Brian is an incredibly smart, hardworking individual that understands the importance of good communication. We couldn't be more excited about naming him our new general manager."
O'Brien told reporters after the disappointing 4-12 season that he planned to sign an extension once the team hired a new general manager. Rick Smith announced earlier this month he was taking a one-year personal leave in that role to help his wife with her recovery from breast cancer.
O'Brien is entering his fifth season with the Texans and his 31 career victories are tied for the most by any head coach in franchise history through their first four years.
From 2014-16, O'Brien led the Texans to three straight winning seasons for the first time in franchise history and back-to-back AFC South division championships (2015-16).
In 2017, the Texans dealt with multiple injuries to their roster, which led to an NFL-record 78 different players recording at least one snap on offense, defense or special teams.
"Bill has been a tremendous leader for us these last four years and we believe in his vision for the team moving forward," McNair said. "Bill is a terrific teacher that the players respect. We have a lot of trust in him to build a unified, championship culture and we're thrilled to have him as our head coach into the future."
--Field Level Media
