2012 HOUSTON TEXANS MEDIA GUIDE - Parent Directory - NFL.com

Dan Hammerschmidt joined theHouston Texans coaching staff as anoffensive assistant on Feb. 14, 2012after coaching 26 years in the collegiate ranks.Hammerschmidt has coached in 11 bowl games andspent 19 of the previous 26 seasons coaching at ColoradoState, spanning three different tenures. He previouslycoached in Houston as wide receivers coach atRice in 2008, mentoring current Texans fullback JamesCasey and former Jacksonville wide receiver Jarett Dillardin their fi nal collegiate seasons.A graduate of CSU, Hammerschmidt began his coachingcareer at his alma mater as a student assistant in1986, followed by stints at TCU (1987), Duke (1988-94)and Virginia Military Institute (1995). He returned toCSU in 1996 as wide receivers coach and took overas the Rams’ co-offensive coordinator and quarterbackscoach from 2001-07. Hammerschmidt shared coordinatorduties with Texans offensive line coach John Bentonfrom 2001-03 and also served on the CSU staff withTexans assistant wide receivers coach Marc Lubickfrom 2001-02.Following the 2008 season at Rice, Hammerschmidtserved as the assistant head coach/wide receivers andtight ends coach at Wyoming in 2009 before returningfor a third tenure at CSU in 2010 as wide receiverscoach and passing game coordinator.A standout athlete at San Diego’s Helix High Schoolwhere he was a classmate and teammate of TexansCOACHING STAFFDAN HAMMERSCHMIDTOFFENSIVE ASSISTANTFIRST SEASON WITH TEXANS/FIRST NFL SEASONquarterbacks coach Karl Dorrell, Hammerschmidt wenton to be a four-year starter at safety at CSU from 1982-85 and led the team in interceptions as a senior.Hammerschmidt graduated from CSU in 1987 with adegree in business economics. He has two children,Holly and Michael. His brother, Jeff, was Texans linebackerBrooks Reed’s position coach at the Universityof Arizona and now serves as the special teams coordinatorand running backs coach at CSU.HAMMERSCHMIDT’S COACHING LEDGER2012: Offensive assistant, Houston Texans2010-11: Wide receivers/passing game coordinator,Colorado State2009: Assistant head coach/wide receivers andtight ends, Wyoming2008: Wide receivers, Rice2001-07: Co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks,Colorado State1996-00: Wide receivers, Colorado State1995: Secondary, Virginia Military Institute1989-94: Secondary, Duke1988: Outside linebackers/special teams, Duke1987: Graduate assistant, TCU1986: Student assistant, Colorado StateCHICK HARRISRUNNING BACKS11TH SEASON WITH TEXANS/32ND NFL SEASONChick Harris is in his 11th seasonas running backs coach for theHouston Texans. Harris and specialteams coordinator Joe Marciano are the only coachesto have been with the team since its inception in 2002.He has 31 years of NFL coaching experience and hasmentored eight running backs who have eclipsed the1,000-yard mark in a season a collective 14 times.In 2011, Arian Foster and Ben Tate became the fi rstbackfi eld duo in franchise history to rush for more than900 yards apiece in a season. Foster earned his secondconsecutive Pro Bowl selection, fi nished fi fth in theNFL with 1,224 yards rushing and was third with 1,841yards from scrimmage despite missing three and a halfgames. Tate was second on the team with 942 yards onthe ground in his fi rst full NFL season. The duo rushedfor more than 100 yards in the same game twice, makingHouston just the sixth team since 1985 to accomplishthe feat.Harris has turned in impressive coaching performancesseemingly every year, no matter who is carrying theball, but 2010 was one of his fi nest as both fullbackVonta Leach and Foster earned AP First Team All-Proand Pro Bowl honors. Foster led the NFL with franchiserecords of 1,616 yards rushing, 2,220 total yards fromscrimmage and 18 touchdowns scored. He also set a36 2012 HOUSTON TEXANS MEDIA GUIDE