Houston Texans Continuing to Interview Offensive Coordinator Candidates

HOUSTON – Nick Caley, like Texans general manager Nick Caserio, is a John Carroll University graduate who previously worked for the New England Patriots

Now, the Los Angeles Rams’ tight ends coach and passing game coordinator is scheduled to interview with the Texans on Thursday, per a league source.

Caley, 42, is a former Patriots tight ends coach who began his career as a student assistant at John Carroll, Caserio’s alma mater where he was a record-setting quarterback.

His first NFL coaching job was with the Patriots as an offensive assistant where he overlapped with Caserio. From that job, he was promoted to tight ends coach and spent one season coaching tight ends and fullbacks. He left New England in 2023 to become the Rams’ tight ends coach.

He was promoted to passing game coordinator before last season by Rams coach Sean McVay, one of the top offensive strategists and play-callers in the NFL.

Caley has previously interviewed for the Patriots’ offensive coordinator position.

He coached Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski in 2017 who was named All-Pro that season.

Working in the Rams’ system has provided a boost to assistant coaches’ careers.

The latest former Sean McVay assistant to become a head coach is Liam Coen, who was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator this past season.

Caley interviewed virtually for the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator job vacated by Coen, who’s now the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach.

The New York Jets have also displayed interest in Caley, but they are expected to hire Detroit Lions passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand, per league sources.

Caley coached for several colleges before joining the Patriots, including Akron, Auburn, Iowa State, Eastern Illinois, Arkansas and Florida Atlantic.

Caley grew up in Canton, Ohio, the same hometown as Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Texans passing game coordinator and receivers coach Ben McDaniels.

The Texans interviewed Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis for their offensive coordinator job.

They have now interviewed Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson, Syracuse offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon and Lewis for the job vacated by since-fired offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

Lewis, 37, is a former NFL quarterback who played for the Los Angeles Rams, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, Texans, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens.

He has coached at UCLA as an offensive analyst and first joined Tampa Bay as an assistant receivers coach.

The Texans interviewed Syracuse offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon, the second candidate for the position previously held by Bobby Slowik, according to league sources.

The defending AFC South champions conducted a pair of interviews Monday, including quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson as their first interview, per team sources.

Nixon, 50, is also the running backs coach for the Orangemen.

He has NFL experience as a former New York Giants running backs coach, an assistant head coach-offense, running backs coach and interim offensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers, running backs coach for the Miami Dolphins and tight ends coach for the San Francisco 49ers and special-teams-offensive assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles.

He was a co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach at Baylor and has also coached at Temple, Tennessee-Chattanooga, Shippensburg, Princeton and Penn State.

He joined Syracuse this past season as the offensive coordinator for coach Fran Brown.

Syracuse ranked first in passing offense last season as quarterback Kyle McCord broke the conference single-season record with 4,779 yards, passing former Clemson and Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Nixon was the play-caller for the Panthers after Joe Brady was fired in 2021.

Texans QB Coach Jerrod Johnson, 36, a Humble native and Texas A&M standout quarterback who played for six different NFL teams, interviewed Monday for the Texans’ offensive coordinator job and is regarded as a top internal candidate as a potential replacement for former offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, according to league sources. The New York Jets, now coached by Houston native and former Texas A&M All-American cornerback Aaron Glenn, are also expected to pursue an interview with Johnson, per sources.

Johnson has coached Stroud, a former second overall pick and two-time Heisman Trophy finalist, for his first two NFL seasons and first began working with Stroud when the Rancho Cucamonga, California native was 16 years old.

“One thing that I can say about Jerrod, you talk about somehow who knows how to play the position of quarterback and knows how to relay something, but also just a great person, man,” Stroud said. “A guy who loves football, he loves Houston, he loves Texas. He loves his family, he’s a great family man. Someone who has just taught me a tremendous amount of information, but on top of that, put a lot of confidence into me as well.”

When Stroud wasn’t as well-known as a quarterback, he wound up outperforming his friend, Carolina Panthers quarterback and top overall pick Bryce Young. Johnson encouraged Stroud to believe in himself.

“Jerrod’s one thing for me was like, ‘Be confident,’” Stroud said. “At that time, I wasn’t really the highest recruit. I wasn’t who I would become. Jerrod is someone I looked up to. When he was like, ‘Man, you need to be more confident,’ it changed my life. From there, fast forward and now I’m here with him my rookie year, it’s been just a blessing to work with him and, whatever happens, I’m excited for him, and he deserves everything that’s coming for him. I’m super blessed to be able to work with him.”

Johnson interviewed last year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots,

Johnson quickly emerged as one of the hottest offensive coordinator candidates in the league before remaining with the Texans under an upgraded contract that included a higher salary.

Stroud, 23, became the youngest quarterback to win a playoff game, surpassing his childhood idol, Michael Vick. He began his career with an NFL record 191 passes without an interception, finished the season with 198 passes without an interception and finished with 4,108 yards in the regular season, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Stroud joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to lead the league in passing yards per game and touchdown-to-interception ratio.

“Yeah, you can’t talk about C.J.’s success without talking about Jerrod, and what he was able to do, the relationship he had with him,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said after Stroud’s rookie year. “Just being there for him as a position coach. Teaching him, guiding him along the way – Jerrod is one of the reasons why C.J. had a successful year.”

Stroud dipped to 20 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions as a second-year pro. He was also sacked 52 times during the regular season and, under heavy duress, occasionally had some lapses in his fundamentals. Anything with Stroud is regarded as fixable, though, with better protection and a healthier receiving corps. Both Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell were lost for the season due to major knee injuries.

A former record-setting Texas A&M quarterback who also played for the Aggies basketball team, Johnson embraced this opportunity as the Humble High School graduate coaches for his hometown team.

“I see myself as a teacher,” Johnson told KPRC 2 during his first season with the Texans. “My biggest thing is I want to teach. Whatever is needed of the players in the room, from Case Keenum, to Davis Mills, to C.J., whatever I can do to teach and give them whatever they need, I try to be transparent and open and honest with them.

“I really want feedback from them. Does this feel comfortable or does it not feel comfortable? It’s a back-and-forth, but, at the same time, we have a strong room with guys who are smart and who care. Anytime you have guys like that, it’s a joy to coach them.”

Johnson was previously the assistant quarterbacks coach for the Minnesota Vikings, working closely with coach Kevin O’Connell and veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. He interviewed for the Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator job that went to former Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

Johnson is a former Indianapolis Colts offensive quality control coach who joined the Vikings in 2022.

Johnson has also coached for the San Francisco 49ers under a Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship. He was promoted three years ago to his previous role with the Colts. He interviewed three years ago for the Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterbacks coaching position.

Johnson finished his college career with a school-record 8,011 passing yards and 8,888 yards of total offense and also played on the Aggies basketball team. A second-team All-Big 12 selection, Johnson was the program’s all-time leader in attempts, completions, passing yards and touchdowns before Kellen Mond broke those records.

Johnson is a former assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at St. Thomas High School in Houston.

He played in the East-West Shrine Bowl in 2011 and later coached at the East-West Shrine Bowl.

Johnson has enjoyed coaching Stroud.

“Absolutely, he’s a super mature kid,” Johnson told KPRC 2. “He has a great foundation. He played a lot of big-time football in college, and it doesn’t seem too big for him.

As the Texans’ quarterbacks coach, Johnson was tasked with a pivotal, plum assignment: developing and building the skills and knowledge of Stroud.

After playing for his late father, Larry Johnson, in high school, excelling for the Aggies, then playing in the East-West Shrine Bowl all-star game and going undrafted, Johnson played quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Hartford Colonials, and Sacramento Mountain Lions.

His roots in Humble are what built Johnson into a coach.

“It meant everything,” Johnson said. “My dad was a coach there, and a principal there. That’s our family roots. I wouldn’t be who I am today without the village of people who raised me in Humble, Texas. I’m forever indebted to Humble and I love my hometown and that’s the foundation of who I am as a person.”

Coaching for his hometown team is emotionally significant for Johnson as he and his wife, Braidee, are the parents of a baby girl. Jersie Drew Johnson.

“It’s really special, especially with my family, my wife Braidee and our little girl, for me to get the opportunity to do what I love in the city that I grew up in,” Johnson said. “It’s a dream come true. I’m really blessed. It’s an emotional thing to be around my family and have our family around our newborn. For us to start our family in my hometown is a godsend.”

Johnson has participated in the NFL Coach Accelerator program in Minneapolis as one of 40 diverse coaches selected for their high potential to be considered as a potential head coaching candidate in the future.. The Coach Accelerator program aims to increase exposure between owners, executives, and diverse coaching talent, providing ample opportunity to develop and build upon their relationships.

“It was a unique experience,” Johnson said. “It’s a couple of days to think in a different framework, to understand the big picture of the NFL and the things that go into potentially advancing in a career. Being a position coach, we love diving in and getting into the X’s and O’s. That’s why I love ball.

“To be exposed to some great coaches and older coaches who have been through a lot and even some of the professional development they did in dealing with all the aspects in dealing with the NFL, I think it’s going to be good for my career. We had a round table where we met several owners from around the league. That was unique in itself. I never knew that I would have the opportunity to do that and they were very gracious to be open and talk with us and learn about us.”

Johnson discussed his goals in coaching.

“I aspire, absolutely,” Johnson said. “I think every coach aspires to get to that point. The cool thing is that you don’t go in there without winning. It’s a team game. I grew up playing, and I’m here to help the quarterbacks get better. If you do a good job, good things will happen. I pour into the players. I pour into the coaches, and that’s all that matters right now..”

Johnson first coached Stroud at the prestigious Elite 11 camp in 2019.

“I met C.J. at a young age,” Johnson said. “To meet him at 17 and go through the draft process with all the other quarterbacks and to see him now as an adult, as a mature kid who’s been through a lot on the field and off the field, to see the man he’s become, it’s good to have that reference point. I’m excited for his future.”

Aaron Wilson is a contributor to Sports Talk 790