Mike Devlin, the Texans' new offensive line coach, played two years at Dulles High School when his father, the late John Devlin, coached linebackers for the Oilers in 1984-85.

Devlin, 45, learned a lot from his father, who coached for 37 years before suffering a fatal heart attack.

"My father was always God, family, and be trustworthy," Devlin said during one of this week's organized team activities. "My father could always make a player - and using myself as an example - better than what he might be.

"He could always make me feel like I could run through a brick wall. He had that unique ability. I try to use those lessons I learned from him when I'm teaching."

Devlin is the Texans' only new position coach. Coach Bill O'Brien hired him to replace Paul Dunn, who was fired.

Devlin, who played at Iowa, was Buffalo's fifth-round pick in 1993. He had a seven-year NFL career before entering coaching. He spent nine seasons coaching tight ends and the offensive line with the New York Jets.

"He's a hell of a coach, and he's added a lot to this staff," O'Brien said. "I don't think this is an easy job to come into and learn all the things that we do right off the bat, especially from a protection standpoint, a run-game standpoint, and how we allow the quarterback at the line of scrimmage to direct us to the right play.

"The linemen and the line coach have to be very, very sharp."

O'Brien knew what he wanted in his new line coach.

"He's definitely a tough person physically and mentally," O'Brien said. "He brings a lot of mental toughness. He arrives early, stays late, and tries to figure out what we can do to be better in addition to learning our offense, which is tough.

"He's a really bright guy and a good communicator, and I think the players have really taken to him."

Left tackle Duane Brown and center Ben Jones have been impressed with their new coach - their third in three years.

"Coach Devlin's done an incredible job," Brown said. "He knows his stuff. He's very technique sound, a fiery guy, but still gives you constructive criticism. It's been a pleasure working with him."

Devlin is overseeing Jones' transition from left guard to center.

"It's been amazing, just his way of teaching," Jones said. "He's very hands-on in the meeting room. He has you standing up and going through things so you can visualize by the X's and O's on the board; you really grasp the offense. He makes everybody know it (the offense), not just the center and guard. He wants everybody on the same page. It's been night and day how we're picking up blitzes.

"He understands personnel. He knows how to communicate, and he knows how to push you, too. You can't just have (someone) who's going to grind you into the ground and not do something that's feasible to football."

Devlin is demanding but fair.

"I believe in three fundamental things: Play smart, play with your heart, and hustle," he said. "We try to do those things and learn every day."

After spending so many years with the Jets, Devlin was eager to learn a new system.

"The opportunity to come here and learn this system is a huge challenge," Devlin said. "It forces me to learn every day, which I like.

"I'm learning coach O'Brien and (offensive coordinator George) Godsey's vision of it. I'm learning to look at it a different way. And hopefully, that's expanding my coaching ability and how I teach."