Texans Co-Founder Janice McNair Dies At 89

Texans co-founder and senior chair Janice McNair died at the age of 89 in Houston on Tuesday, per a team announcement.

McNair co-founded the Texans with her husband, Bob McNair, in 1999. Upon his death in 2018, she assumed principal control of the franchise with her son, Cal, running the team as CEO. In March 2024, she officially passed ownership to Cal.

“Outside of our family, nothing mattered more to her than her beloved Texans,” Cal McNair said in a statement regarding his mother’s passing (via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson). “I remain honored to lead this franchise and build on the foundation my parents set when they brought football back to Houston. Mom leaves an indelible mark on our family, our team and our community, and her giving spirit will always be embedded in the fabric of our organization.”

The late 1990s were a tumultuous period in the NFL. Between 1995 and 1997, four teams moved cities, capped off by the Oilers departing Houston for Tennessee, where they would become the Titans. A movement to bring an NFL team back to Houston took off shortly after, aided by the restoration of the Browns in Cleveland in 1999. To bring the league back to an even number of teams (32), the McNairs’ ownership group was granted an expansion franchise for $700MM.

The Texans officially joined the NFL in 2002 with the league’s first-ever retractable-roof arena (then-Reliant, now-NRG Stadium). They toiled at the bottom of the AFC South until 2011, when head coach Gary Kubiak mounted back-to-back division-winning campaigns that ended with second-round playoff losses. Bill O’Brien took over as head coach in 2014, and over the next six years, Houston brought home the AFC South trophy for times, but with it came just two postseason victories. O’Brien was relieved of duty in 2020 followed by two one-year stints under David Culley and Lovie Smith.

In 2023, former Texans Pro Bowl linebacker and 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans was hired as head coach. Houston also drafted C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson with the second and third picks of the draft, kickstarting a new period of competitiveness that has featured at least one playoff win in each of the last three years.

“Mrs. McNair was an incredible woman who will be deeply missed,” Ryans said in a statement. “As a player, she and Mr. McNair built an organization that felt like a family and it was a true honor to play for them. I will always remember the day I came home to Houston in 2023. Mrs. McNair welcomed me back into the Texans family with open arms and her signature warm smile. We shared the same vision of bringing the organization to new heights and I will continue to work every day to accomplish that goal. My thoughts and prayers are with Cal, Hannah and their family during this time.” 

Chief community officer Hannah McNair, general manager Nick Caserio, and team president Mike Tomon also released statements regarding Janice McNair’s passing. We at PFR extend our condolences to her family and the entire Texans organization.