Before hiring Brian Gaine, Texans tried to interview multiple other candidates

[Swoop]

Getty Images

The Texans’ abrupt decision to fire General Manager Brian Gaine this afternoon came as a surprise, and firing him after only one season raises the question of whether ownership was ever completely committed to Gaine.

Adding to those questions is that the Texans hired Gaine last year only after they tried and failed to hire multiple other candidates.

Cowboys V.P. of Player Personnel Will McClay declined to interview, saying he’d rather remain in Dallas. The Eagles denied permission for the Texans to interview Joe Douglas, and the Patriots did the same with Nick Caserio and Monti Ossenfort.

It’s unclear whether those four will be candidates this time around (Douglas is currently a candidate for the Jets’ G.M. vacancy), but it is clear that the Texans had previously identified multiple other candidates they thought could be a good fit. They couldn’t interview those candidates last time, but maybe this time they will.