David Culley’s Firing as Texans Head Coach Highlights Lack of Diversity

By Tadi Abedje Published: January 13, 2022

David Culley’s Firing as Texans Head Coach Highlights Lack of Diversity

Houston Texans head coach David Culley before an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Houston. (AP Photo/Justin Rex )

In Summary

In 2021, Culley got his first opportunity to be a head coach with the Houston Texans as the team finished 4-13.

NFL teams continue their firing spree of head coaches as they try to find a direction for their respective futures. The Houston Texans added themselves to the list as they fired David Culley as head coach after a 4-13 season, according to NFL.com.

Culley got his first-ever opportunity to be a head coach of an NFL franchise after spending almost three decades as an assistant. He had to deal with instability, such Deshaun Watson’s trade demands and sexual assault allegations, along with the lack of talent on the team, even though he got the most out of the squad.

But in the end, it wasn’t enough for him to be given a second season as the Texans are going back to the drawing board. The team’s general manager Nick Caserio will be looking for the new head coach, per NFL.com.

This latest firing comes after the Miami Dolphins fired head coach Brian Flores even though the team was trending in the right direction.

This recent news highlights the lack of diversity in the coaching ranks, and how Black coaches don’t always get a fair shake. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is now the only active Black head coach for a league in which the majority of players are Black.

While Tomlin, who has had 15 consecutive non-losing seasons, continues as the Steelers’ head man and leads his team into the postseason, the NFL still has to deal with its conundrum with the lack of Black coaches.