Jack Easterby is the latest in a long line of New England Patriots alumni to find work in Houston.
The Texans announced Tuesday the hiring of Easterby, who served as New England’s character coach for the last six seasons, as their executive vice president of team development.
This is the third NFL stop for Easterby, who also worked in the Kansas City Chiefs organization before joining the Patriots’ staff in 2013.
In an interview during Super Bowl LIII week, Easterby said his role in New England was to be “the glue for our team,” helping players and coaches navigate the “roller coaster” of an NFL season.
“My job is to serve anybody and everybody in the building, to help them however I can, to help us be prepared on and off the football field, to be prepared as men, as people, and hopefully stay out of the way,” said Easterby, who was hired by the Patriots in the wake of Aaron Hernandez’s arrest.
Special teams captain Matthew Slater credited Easterby with providing stability and comfort to the Patriots’ locker room.
“I honestly don’t think we’re here where we are sitting here today without his influence on the team,” Slater said during Super Bowl week.
Easterby left the team in February after Patriots owner Robert Kraft was charged with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting a prostitute in Florida.
“Easterby felt his time with the team had run its course,” The Boston Globe’s Nora Princiotti and Ben Volin wrote at the time, “and the Kraft situation does not sit well with him, according to league sources.”
The Patriots also lost five position coaches after Super Bowl LIII, with Brian Flores (linebacker/de facto defensive coordinator), Chad O’Shea (wide receivers), Josh Boyer (cornerbacks) and Jerry Schuplinski (assistant quarterbacks) all setting up shop in Miami and Brendan Daly (defensive line) joining the Chiefs.
Texans head coach Bill O’Brien and assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel both previously worked under Bill Belichick in New England. Former Patriots players Mike Vrabel, Wes Welker and Larry Izzo also have held positions on Houston’s coaching staff in recent years.
