Houston Texans to interview Jonathan Gannon and Shane Steichen for their head coaching vacancy

The two Eagles coordinators figure to be in high demand after the Eagles completed the season with a 14-3 record.

Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon will interview with the Houston Texans for the second consecutive season.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer

Published Jan. 9, 2023, 4:52 p.m. ET

Less than one day after the Eagles clinched the NFC’s No. 1 seed, defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen emerged as candidates for the Houston Texans head coaching vacancy. A league source on Monday confirmed to The Inquirer that the Texans requested permission to interview both Gannon and Steichen.

The Eagles (14-3) concluded the regular season as the NFL’s second-ranked defense, allowing just 301.5 yards per game, behind only the San Francisco 49ers (300.6). Gannon’s passing defense shined with a league-low 179.8 yards allowed per contest.

Offensively under Steichen, the Eagles evolved into a high-powered machine with third-year quarterback Jalen Hurts. The Eagles finished third in the NFL in yards (389.1) and points per game (28.1). Gannon, 40, and Steichen, 37, are both in Year 2 of their roles under second-year coach Nick Sirianni.

Last offseason, Gannon interviewed for the Texans’ head coach opening in addition to the Broncos’ vacancy. Since then, both teams have fired the coaches that they chose over Gannon.

The Denver Broncos fired former coach Nathaniel Hackett after just 15 games (4-11). On Sunday evening, the Texans fired Lovie Smith after one season (3-14). It marked consecutive years in which the Texans fired their head coach after one season. Before Smith, David Culley was fired after the Texans finished 4-13 in the 2021 season.

With Gannon returning to the Eagles this season, Sirianni successfully retained his entire coaching staff. But there’s a chance that won’t be the case this offseason.

As of Monday evening, there are five NFL head coaching vacancies (Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, Texans). In addition to Gannon and Steichen, the Eagles also have other assistants expected to garner interest for more prominent positions in the future, including quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, running backs/assistant head coach Jemal Singleton, passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo, and defensive passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson, among others.

When asked about his first experience going through the interview process for a head coaching job, Gannon said: “It was good. It was humbling to have the opportunity to get a chance to interview with a couple [of] different teams. Just excited about being in the seat that I’m in right now. Learned a lot from it, but that’s kind of in the past and I’m focused on right now getting our players better.”

The Eagles are scheduled to host an NFC divisional-round game on either Jan. 21 or 22. Depending on the outcomes from the wild-card round this weekend, the Eagles are expected to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, or Seattle Seahawks.