HOUSTON — The Houston Texans abruptly fired general manager Brian Gaine on Friday less than 18 months after he took the job.

The team announced the move with a statement from team owner Cal McNair, who said only that “while the timing may be unusual, this decision was made in the best interest of the organization in our quest to build a championship team.”

Gaine was hired to replace Rick Smith in January 2018 after Smith took a leave of absence to be with his wife while she fought cancer.

The Texans went 11-5 in Gaine’s first season in charge after he spent the 2017 as vice president of player personnel for the Buffalo Bills. This stint was his second with the Texans after he worked for them from 2014-16 as director of player personnel.