New on SI: Report: Texans Fire Coach and General Manager Bill O'Brien After 0–4 Start

O'Brien served as the Texans' head coach since 2014 and amassed a 52–48 record with four AFC titles.

The Texans have fired coach and general manager Bill O'Brien, 

according to The Houston Chronicle's John McClain.

ESPN's Adam Schefter also reported the firing, adding that assistant Romeo Crennel will likely become Houston's interim head coach. O'Brien had been on the hot seat following the Texans' 0–4 start to the 2020 season. 

"Bill was very professional," team owner Cal McNair told McClain. "He thanked us for the opportunity and was sorry he couldn't get us over the hump."

As head coach and general manager, O'Brien controlled the roster. In January, the team officially appointed O'Brien as general manager after he served as de facto GM since the team fired Brian Gaine in June 2019. O'Brien's decisions as general manager have been widely criticized, especially after he traded away star receive DeAndre Hopkins and for sent two first-round picks and a second-rounder to the Dolphins in exchange for Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills.

Over the offseason, the Texans changed their offensive operations when they gave offensive coordinator Tim Kelly play-calling duties. O'Brien had handled it for the past four seasons, but after Houston's first three losses in 2020, the team reconsidered the move. O'Brien reportedly became more involved in play-calling and offensive planning for Week 4, although that still resulted in a 31–23 loss to the Vikings on Sunday.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Jack Easterby, the Texans' executive vice president of football operations, was not "see eye-to-eye recently" with O'Brien, leading to the coach's firing." Easterby also fired Gaine when he arrived in Houston.

O'Brien was in his seventh season with the Texans, joining the team in 2014 after coaching at Penn State. He amassed a 52–48 record with four AFC titles, and the team has posted five winning campaigns in six seasons.