Jan. 25, 2026, 11:19 a.m. CT

A member of the Houston Texans‘ coaching staff could be crossing enemy lines in 2026.

According to reports, defensive backs coach Dino Vasso is expected to interview for the Tennessee Titans‘ defensive coordinator position. Should first-year coach Robert Saleh hire the Texans’ longtime assistant, it would mark Vasso’s first chance to serve as a defensive coordinator in his career.

Vasso, 38, has spent the last five seasons on Houston’s staff. When the Texans elected to hire DeMeco Ryans from San Francisco, Vasso was retained from Lovie Smith’s former staff.

Ryans, who enters his fourth season as the Texans’ head coach, previously spent several seasons working under Saleh as the linebackers coach with the Niners. According to reports, both Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke and Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz pushed for the rising star to be considered a candidate for the opening after Saleh’s hiring in Nashville.

Since his promotion to defensive backs coach, Vasso has produced one of the league’s best secondaries. Working alongside All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr., nickel defender Jalen Pitre, rising star safety Calen Bullock and potential Pro Bowl corner Kamari Lassiter, the Texans bolstered the league’s top-ranked defense this past fall.

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Amid a 12-win campaign, the Texans’ defense ranked second in points allowed and first in fewest yards, allowing just 277.2 yards per game. They also ranked second in takeaways, with four different defenders totaling at least four interceptions.

Vasso is now the fourth candidate from the Texans’ staff to receive an interview this season. Burke did a Zoom with the Arizona Cardinals‘ head coach opening while quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson interviewed for the Miami Dolphins‘ offensive coordinator opening, which went to former Texans play-caller Bobby Slowik.

Texans assistant general manager James Liipfert interviewed for the Atlanta Falcons’ general manager job and is considered a top candidate for the position.

The Texans will pick 28th in the NFL draft this April.