Texans Rumors: Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon Requested for HC Interview

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The Houston Texans have requested permission to interview Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon for their head-coaching vacancy, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings have also reportedly requested interviews with Gannon.

The 39-year-old Gannon started his NFL career in 2007 as a defensive quality control coach for the Atlanta Falcons before spending three years (2009-11) as a scout for the St. Louis Rams. 

He then worked as a defensive quality control coach for the Tennessee Titans (2012-13), an assistant defensive backs coach for the Minnesota Vikings (2014-17) and the cornerbacks coach for the Indianapolis Colts (2018-20).

First-year head coach Nick Sirianni hired him to serve as the defensive coordinator for the Eagles this season. Under his watch, the Eagles finished 10th in yards allowed and 18th in points allowed.

While his bend-but-don’t-break philosophy and an early aversion to blitzing earned him criticism in Philadelphia, the Eagles improved defensively as the season wore on. 

Sirianni told reporters in December that he believes Gannon has a future as a head coach:

“I think Jonathan would be an awesome head coach. I really wouldn’t want to make a joke right there and be like, ‘He’d be terrible,’ because I really want to keep him here because I think so highly of him.

“But I think he would be awesome, again, for the same reasons that I hired him to be the defensive coordinator would be the same reasons I think he would be a really good head coach.”

The Texans are seeking a head coach after firing David Culley last week after just one year on the job. Houston went 4-13, though given the lack of talent on the roster and Deshaun Watson’s absence for the entire season, squeezing out four wins was arguably an achievement for Culley, not a failure.