Top 5 Defensive Coordinators in Houston Texans History

One of the most important roles on a coaching staff is the defensive coordinator. Nearly every championship-level team has had one who was elite, and those that haven’t have struggled to find one. The Texans appear to have found a good fit after their 2023 search, hiring Matt Burke, who has been great for Demeco Ryans so far.

Since joining the league as an expansion team in 2002, the Texans have had nine different defensive coordinators, starting with Vic Fangio. The new expansion team was led by Dom Capers, a former AP Coach of the Year Award winner in 1996. As the first head coach in team history, no one knew what to expect from him. Capers spent three seasons in Houston before being fired. The Texans have never really had much success as a team, but they have had some very talented defensive coordinators to keep their record afloat each year. Of course, those top five coordinators wouldn’t have gotten this far without having great players to coach, which led to wins, playoff runs, and plenty of stats.

Each coordinator ranked here had a different skill set while coaching in Houston. Some were better at helping young defensemen grow and win individual accolades, while others got the most out of their players and worked together as a unit. Still others were able to help their teams succeed in the playoffs.

Many factors went into these rankings, including playoff success, defensive rating each season, and their longevity with the team. These are things that many of the Texans’ previous defensive coordinators didn’t have. The Texans have had plenty of defensive coordinators over their careers, but none were better than these five.

5. Frank Bush (2009-2010)

Frank Bush, the team’s third defensive coordinator, currently sits fourth in winning percentage at 46.9 percent. Bush’s defenses have struggled somewhat during his tenure, finishing the 2009 season ranked 14th in total defense and the 2010 season ranked 30th. That being said, Bush not only helped the Texans go 9-7 in 2009, but also helped Brian Cushing win Rookie of the Year honors.

Mario Williams was also named a Pro Bowler that season after totaling nine sacks and two forced fumbles. DeMeco Ryans also finished with a Pro Bowl season with a total of 123 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, with one sack and one forced fumble.

That year, Houston also had a talented safety in Bernard Pollard, who finished the year with four interceptions, one forced fumble, and 102 tackles. After the 2010 season, the Texans fired Bush in large part because his defense ranked 29th in points allowed. After leaving Houston, Bush never found another full-time defensive coordinator position.

He eventually became an assistant head coach of the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, serving as interim defensive coordinator for the latter in 2020. Today, Bush is the linebackers coach for the Tennessee Titans, where he is preparing to coach his 38th season in the league.

4. Vic Fangio

Vic Fangio coached some of Houston’s best and worst defenses during his three years with the team. He had a top-10 passing defense in 2002, as well as a defense that ranked 16th overall and a defense that ranked 20th in points allowed. That may not sound like much, but Fangio helped coach a defense that was seriously lacking in talent across the team.

Aaron Glenn, the team’s starting cornerback, finished the year with five interceptions, two touchdowns and 18 passes defended. Jeff Posey, the team’s starting linebacker, finished the year with a team-best eight sacks, two forced fumbles and 66 tackles. Houston finished its first season with a 4-12 record.

That year, Fangio helped Glenn win his third Pro Bowl and Gary Walker earn All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. Fangio’s ability to coach his players is a big reason he lasted nearly four decades in the league, and Texans fans had a front-row seat for a few seasons. After leaving Houston, Fangio became a head coach and won Assistant Coach of the Year honors, all while continuing to hold highly respected coaching positions around the league.

3. Matt Burke

He may have just started as defensive coordinator, but Matt Burke is already one of the franchise’s best defensive coordinators. Last year, Houston finished 10-7 and won a playoff game, thanks in large part to Will Anderson winning Defensive Rookie of the Year. While it didn’t have the firepower of some of the other coordinators, Burke’s defense ranked sixth against the run, 23rd against the pass and 11th in points against.

Before joining the Texans, Burke had just two seasons of experience as a defensive coordinator, as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2017-18. His defenses were among the worst in the league in both seasons, but it didn’t help that the team itself wasn’t good either. This time around in Houston, Burke has more experience and talent around him and it shows in the development of players like Will Anderson and Jalen Pitre.

Anderson and Pitre, both first-round picks, both had very good seasons. Pitre, a 2022 rookie, finished with 147 tackles and five interceptions and is on pace for a great career. Anderson was named Defensive Rookie of the Year after finishing with seven sacks and 22 quarterback hits. Of course, a lot of the credit goes to DeMeco Ryans for their development. However, don’t discount Burke for the role he played in developing these two young stars. It’s clear that this time around, as defensive coordinator, Matt Burke is ready and prepared for the job. Burke has a bright future not only with the Texans, but as a head coach elsewhere in the league.

2. Wade Phillips

Wade Phillips was the Texans’ fourth defensive coordinator and one of their most successful. He helped the team reach four playoff appearances, winning two of them during his tenure. Under Phillips, JJ Watt was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, Jonathan Joseph was a second-team All-Pro in 2011, and Antonio Smith was named a Pro Bowler in 2011.

Phillips finished his tenure with the Texans with a 24-24 record and a career record of 363-287-2. As a full-time head coach of three different teams, Phillips also had four assistants become head coaches in the league, Jim Fassel, Jason Garrett, Todd Bowles and Tony Sparano. Phillips’ Texans coaching tree saw Vance Joseph become a defensive coordinator (Miami Dolphins 2016, Arizona Cardinals 2019-2022, Denver Broncos 2023-present) and head coach (Denver Broncos 2017-2018) in the league.

The 2011 season may have been his best, as Phillips coached Houston to have the third-best passing defense and fourth-best rushing defense in the league. During the 2011 season, Phillips held opposing offenses to under 100 passing yards twice (95 yards against the Tennessee Titans, 90 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars). Phillips also gave up over 100 rushing yards in just seven games. His 2011 defense was truly special, and one of the best defenses he has ever coached, regardless of team.

He has yet to win a championship at any level he has coached, but he has come close on several occasions. Phillips is currently the head coach of the San Antonio Brahmas of the UFL.

1. Romeo Crennel

Romeo Crennel, the sixth coordinator in team history, had two different stints in Houston. In his first stint with the team, from 2014-16, Crennel coached JJ Watt to Defensive Player of the Year honors while earning first- and second-team All-Pro honors. Watt tied his career high in sacks that season with 20.5, a mark he never matched again.

Watt was by far the best player Crennel coached in Houston. During their first stint together, Watt won two Defensive Player of the Year awards and was named a first-team All-Pro again in 2018 after Crennel returned. That same season, Crennel helped lead Benardrick McKinney to the Pro Bowl, while Tyrann Mathieu had a breakout season with two interceptions, eight passes defended and three sacks.

Before being hired by Houston, Crennel was a two-time head coach with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012 and the Cleveland Browns from 2005-08. After retiring two years ago, he finished his 39-year coaching career with a 319-297-1 record, a 23-12 playoff record, a 48-32 record and a 2-4 playoff record as a member of the Texans.

Crennel has a lot to be proud of in his coaching career, but he also has to be a part of putting Houston on the map and putting Houston on the map. He will be remembered as one of the best coordinators the Texans have ever had.