It was only seven months ago that the Buffalo Bills, under new general manager Brandon Beane, hired Brian Gaine as the team’s vice president of player personnel.
On Tuesday, just two days after the Bills (9-7) secured the franchise’s first playoff berth since the 1999 season, Beane and the Bills’ brass granted the Houston Texans permission to interview Gaine for the Texans’ general manager vacancy, according to the Houston Chronicle.
“Brian is a very bright guy, works very hard. Great knowledge of pro and college things. Great family guy,” current Texans head coach Bill O’Brien told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Gaine came to Western New York with plenty of experience interviewing for previous Buffalo front office jobs. Gaine had interviewed for the Bills general manager position when the Pegulas were looking to fill that position last offseason before ownership decided to hire Beane as the next general manager.
Gaine also interviewed for the San Francisco 49ers general manager post, and interviewed for GM openings with the Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, and New York Jets.
Before coming to Buffalo on May 15, 2017, Gaine served as Houston general manager Rick Smith’s top assistant in personnel from 2014-16. After the Texans’ Week 17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Smith announced he was taking an extended leave of absence to assist his wife, Tiffany, in her bout with breast cancer.
While Smith has said his tenure with the Texans is not over, Gaine will be interviewed for the general manager vacancy created in Houston by Smith’s extended leave of absence.
Gaine, who was most recently the Director of Player Personnel with the Houston Texans, completed his 19th year of NFL personnel experience this season with the Bills.
When he was with the Texans, Gaine helped assemble one of the most talented defensive rosters in the league, featuring J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney. In his role, he oversaw all pro player evaluation, as well as the advanced scouting process and the team’s strategy when dealing with free agency.
Gaine has worked for five different NFL clubs: the Bills, Texans, Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, and New York Jets.