Former Steelers star Hines Ward discusses Texans head coaching interview in-depth

Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward spoke to FanSided’s Mark Carman in-depth regarding his head coaching interview with the Houston Texans.

The Houston Texans decided to fire David Culley at the end of the season and ultimately opted to promote defensive coordinator Lovie Smith after a lengthy head coaching search. There were many fans and media members scratching their heads, wondering the Texans’ thought process when going through their search. Of course, there are also questions regarding the Rooney Rule after Brian Flores filed a lawsuit against the NFL and three teams for alleged racist hiring practices.

One of the candidates for the Texans‘ job this year was former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and New York Jets assistant coach Hines Ward. When speaking with FanSided alongside former Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis, Ward said he felt that his interview with Houston was legitimate.

Hines Ward feels Texans head coaching interview was legitimate

"“I felt it was legit,” Ward said in an interview with FanSided’s Mark Carman, starting at the 4:25 mark in the video linked above. “I got an opportunity to interview for a head coaching job. If someone asked you to go do an interview, what are you going to say, ‘No, I don’t want to do it?’ No. It was great. A great opportunity for me just to go through the process, I learned a lot. They asked me tons of questions. For me I’m blessed, I’m humbled at the opportunity to get that.”"

Ward did address the NFL’s Rooney Rule in his answer, saying that while it did allow Mike Tomlin to interview and eventually get the head coaching position for the Steelers, there does need to be a revision to allow more minority coaches to get more opportunities to receive head coaching jobs in the league.

The wide receiver spent all 14 years of his NFL career in Pittsburgh, where he earned four Pro Bowl nominations, won two Super Bowl titles and and was named Super Bowl XL MVP. Ward tallied 1,000 receptions for 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns.

After his retirement, Ward joined the Adam Gase’s staff on the Jets in 2019 as an offensive assistant. Ward joined the Florida Atlantic football program as a special assistant to the head coach in 2021, before being promoted to wide receivers coach midseason.

The Texans ultimately decided to name Smith as their head coach, Ward expressed gratitude to receive consideration for the job.

NFL fans can take to Twitter during the BIG GAME and come away with a piece of $88,000 in prizes. Terrell and Hines will also go head-to-head in their own #TUMSworthyBigGameTrivia challenge just days before the game.