Dylan Thompson Reportedly Hired as Texans Character Coach Amid FO Turmoil

The Houston Texans reportedly hired Dylan Thompson as their new character coach. 

Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reported the news, noting Thompson was a quarterback for South Carolina in the collegiate ranks and the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams at the professional level even though he never appeared in a game.

Thompson was also the director of player development for the Charleston Southern basketball team and a character coach for the Detroit Lions.

This has already been an offseason of turmoil for the Texans, and it is only February.

Team President Jamey Rootes resigned Wednesday, and Texans Chair and CEO Cal McNair issued a statement saying, in part, "We sincerely appreciate Jamey's multiple contributions to the Texans franchise over his tenure."

Speculation about Deshaun Watson's future has also hovered over the franchise, and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the star quarterback officially asked for a trade and was not influenced to stay by the hiring of new head coach David Culley.

Greg Bishop and Jenny Vrentas of Sports Illustrated reported Jack Easterby, whom the Texans hired in April 2019 after he was the New England Patriots character coach for six seasons, may have been contributing to the discord.

"Watson told McNair he wanted to create a 'winning culture' in Houston, similar to his experience in college at Clemson, where he won a national title in 2016," Bishop and Vrentas wrote. "He also sought for the franchise decision-makers to 'get on the same page,' ending the division created and flamed since Easterby’s arrival in 2019."

Easterby's connection with the latest hire is strong.

Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk noted Thompson is an "old friend" of Easterby's, and that friendship apparently helped Thompson land his job with the Lions because then-general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia were looking at New England as a template for Detroit.

Smith called Easterby "the most powerful person in the Texans' front office," and it appears he has another ally within the organization following Thompson's hiring.