Texans head coach fires three assistants following playoff loss

Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien fired three assistant coaches following Saturday's AFC wild-card blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky, receivers coach Stan Hixon and defensive assistant Anthony Pleasant will be replaced, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reported Monday. All were part of O'Brien's first staff in 2014.

There were special teams breakdowns against the Chiefs, including allowing Knile Davis to return the opening kickoff 106 yards for a touchdown.

Ligashesky joined the Texans in 2013 and was the only holdover from Gary Kubiak's last staff to make it to 2015.

"It's not very good," O'Brien said Sunday of his special teams. "Again, I'm not going to get into all of it because I really haven't evaluated the season as a whole. But looking at (Saturday's) game, we have to cover kicks better, we have to return kicks better. We have to block better. ... Everything's got to get better on special teams in order for us to be where we want to be this time next year. We have to really improve on special teams."