HOUSTON – The Texans retained wide receivers coach-passing game coordinator Ben McDaniels, according to league sources.
McDaniels is a former Michigan quarterbacks coach who was hired two seasons ago as an assistant receivers coach-offensive assistant.
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At Michigan, he was originally an analyst under coach Jim Harbaugh before being named receivers coach when Jim McElwain left the staff prior to the Peach Bowl. McDaniels was then named quarterbacks coach.
McDaniels was a quarterbacks coach with the Broncos coaching Tim Tebow when his brother was the head coach in Denver.
McDaniels, who played quarterback at Kent State, has also coached for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears, where he was an offensive quality control coach and at Columbia University as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
McDaniels’ brother is Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels and their father, Thom McDaniels, is a legendary former high school football coach at Canton McKinley High School.
Under new coach DeMeco Ryans, he has hired former San Francisco 49ers passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik as offensive coordinator and the replacement for Pep Hamilton, former Arizona Cardinals defensive line coach and Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Matt Burke as defensive coordinator and retained special teams coordinator Frank Ross, per league sources.
The Texans hired former Indianapolis Colts offensive line coach Chris Strausser as the replacement for offensive line coach George Warhop, former Cleveland Browns defensive line coach and 49ers assistant Chris Kiffin as linebackers coach as the replacement for Miles Smith, former 49ers defensive passing game specialist Cory Undlin as defensive passing game coordinator-secondary coach, former Los Angeles Chargers quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Shane Day as senior offensive assistant, former Minnesota Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach and record-setting Texas A&M quarterback and Humble native Jerrod Johnson as quarterbacks coach, former Denver Broncos tight ends coach and New York Jets assistant offensive line coach Jake Moreland as tight ends coach, former San Francisco 49ers chief of staff Nick Kray for the same job in Houston, 49ers defensive quality control coach Stephen Adegoke as safeties coach and former Kent State assistant athletic director for football operations and Yale chief of staff Jake Olson, according to sources.
The Texans are expected to retain several other coaches, including corners coach Dino Vasso, and assistant special teams coordinator Sean Baker, and have retained defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire and head strength and conditioning coach Mike Eubanks, per sources.
The Texans didn’t retain Hamilton, Warhop, Miles Smith, tight ends coach Tim Berbenich, assistant defensive line coach Kenyon Jackson, offensive assistant-quarterbacks Ted White, defensive assistant Dele Harding, linebackers coach Miles Smith, defensive assistant-nickels coach Ilir Emini and special assistant to the head coach for football performance Tobijah Hughley from former coach Lovie Smith’s staff, per sources.
“We want a diverse coaching staff, and that’s not only diversity in race, but diversity in experience,” Ryans said during his introductory press conference. “We want experienced coaches, some coaches with not so much experience. We want coaches who are great teachers. That’s the one thing we’re looking for, most importantly, is great teachers. We want guys who are positive, bring positive energy. We want guys who can connect with players.
“If you can connect with players, you can lead players. But if you can’t connect, there is no way you can coach those guys. We want guys who are bringing energy, doing it in a fun way, guys who are truly committed to working together. No egos allowed, no energy vampires allowed. We want a positive culture.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com