The Texans have appointed Nick Caserio as the fourth general manager in team history.
The Texans agreed on Tuesday night on Caserio’s contract with agent Bob Lamonte after taking him to Houston during the day.
It’s a decision that will enjoy universal praise around the NFL because Caserio is such a respected staff. It will be difficult to sell in Houston, because Caserio knows only one way – the Patriot Way.
Fans and media will equate Caserio with Bill O’Brien, who spent five years with the Patriots and was sacked in his seventh season as a Texans coach in 0-4 in October.
Caserio, 45, has been with New England for 20 years, including the past 13 as director of player staff working under coach Bill Belichick. He follows Charley Casserly, Rick Smith and O’Brien as general managers of Texans.
On Monday, owner Cal McNair and executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby flew to New England to pick up Caserio and bring him back to Houston for the interview.
Caserio and Easterby are friends who have worked with the Patriots for six years. Easterby left New England for the Texans in 2019.
Under the NFL rules, candidates who work for teams that are not in the playoffs can conduct personal interviews or meet with Zoom during meetings.
Now that it’s official, the Texans have a new general manager with a background in staffing and coaching. Now that he has been appointed, Caserio will join McNair in the search for a new head coach.
This is the second time McNair has chased Caserio. After firing Brian Gaine in June 2019, McNair tried to interview Caserio as a replacement. The Patriots filed complaints of tampering and McNair withdrew his request.
Caserio, who joined the Patriots as a staff assistant in 2001, eventually impressed Belichick enough to become his right-hand man over staff decisions.
Belichick has the final say on staff decisions in New England. This is the first time Caserio has the responsibility.
Caserio also worked as an assistant coach for Belichick before returning to the personnel department and being promoted to his current position in 2008.
This is the first time Caserio has been involved in a coaching search. McNair and the investigative committee interviewed Jim Caldwell, Marvin Lewis and the offensive coordinator of Carolina, Joe Brady.
When Tennessee and Indianapolis are eliminated from the playoffs, they will interview the attacking coordinator of the Titans, Arthur Smith, and Matt Eberflus, the defensive coordinator of the Colts.
The Texans could also target Buffalo’s attacking coordinator Brian Daboll, Kansas City’s offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and San Francisco’s defense coordinator Robert Saleh.
Daboll has won five Super Bowl rings as an assistant coach in New England and knows Caserio well. Daboll, 45, joined the Patriots in 2000, the year before Caserio arrived.
Offensive New England coordinator Josh McDaniels is not a candidate to become the Texans’ new head coach.
Once Caserio starts his new job, fans and media will want to see if he wants to make the Patriot Way the Houston Way.
This is a chance for Caserio to get out from under the Belichick umbrella and determine his own path.