The Texans have completed an interview with Joe Lombardi for the head coaching position.
Joe Lombardi, a 16-year NFL coaching veteran, finished his first season as offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers after serving as the quarterbacks coach of the New Orleans Saints for the previous five seasons.
Lombardi coached quarterbacks for 10 seasons over two stints with the Saints (2007-13 and 2016-20) as Drew Brees solidified his legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks in history, while also helping in the development of Taysom Hill and Teddy Bridgewater. Under Lombardi, Brees completed 69.9 percent of his passes for 44,278 yards and 338 touchdowns with 116 interceptions — good for a 104.6 passer rating — and was an all-star in nine of their 10 years together.
While in New Orleans, the Saints captured the team's fourth-straight NFC South Division title in 2020. In a division-clinching home win on Christmas Day, Brees became the first quarterback in NFL history to accumulate over 80,000 career passing yards. Over the last two seasons while Brees was sidelined due to injury, the Saints went 8-1 with Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill, as the pair of signal-callers helped New Orleans continue on their quest toward eventual NFC South Division titles in 2019 and 2020.
Despite missing five regular season games in 2019, Brees still led the NFL with a league-best 74.3-percent completion mark, one season after setting the NFL record with a 74.4 completion percentage and 13-2 record as the starter. His historic 2018 season was capped with another Pro Bowl acknowledgement, being named the starting QB for the NFC, and receiving second team All-Pro acknowledgement from The Associated Press.
With the help of Lombardi in 2016, Brees set the NFL single-season completions record with 471 completed pass attempts, accounting for his fifth career season with 5,000-plus passing yards.
Between his stints with the Saints, Lombardi was the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. In 2014 with Detroit, the offense featured Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate as the first pair of Lions teammates since 2006 to each reach 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Johnson, Tate and quarterback Matthew Stafford were each selected to the Pro Bowl. Of Detroit's 11 wins in 2014, five were fourth-quarter or overtime comeback efforts, led by Stafford.
Before Detroit, Lombardi spent seven seasons with New Orleans, working directly with Brees as the Saints' quarterbacks coach for the latter five seasons (2009-13). During the pair's first stint together, Brees owned an NFL-record 54-game passing touchdown streak from 2009- 12. Lombardi spent his first two seasons with the Saints in an offensive assistant role.
Lombardi broke into the NFL as a defensive assistant for the Falcons in 2006 before joining the Saints as an offensive assistant from 2007-08. He served as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Mercyhurst (2002-05) after coaching in various roles for the N.Y./N.J. Hitmen of the XFL (2001), Bucknell (2000), Virginia Military Institute (1999) and Dayton (1996-98).
From 2002-05, Lombardi gained game-planning and play-calling experience as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Mercyhurst College.
In his final season with the Lakers, Lombardi's quarterback room featured a transfer from the University of Dayton, Brandon Staley.
Lombardi broke into the coaching ranks in 1996, working with the defensive line at the University of Dayton. He spent three years at Dayton, a time period which featured a stretch of 20-straight wins for the Flyers.
A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy in 1994, Lombardi, a three-time letter-winning tight end for the Falcons, also earned a varsity letter in lacrosse at the Air Force Academy. Lombardi went on to serve a four-year tour of active duty as a United States Air Force officer following graduation. An active contributor to the Saints' military-supporting initiatives, Lombardi was named the club's 2018 NFL Salute to Service Award nominee.
This information was provided courtesy of the Los Angeles Chargers.
