Houston Texans hire Lovie Smith as new head coach
The Houston Texans' 11th-hour pivot in their coaching search pointed the franchise to an in-house candidate.
The Texans on Monday announced they hired defensive coordinator and associate head coach Lovie Smith as their new head coach.
Smith, who is Black, becomes the NFL's fifth minority active head coach, joining the Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Tomlin, Washington Commanders' Ron Rivera, New York Jets' Robert Saleh and Miami Dolphins' Mike McDaniel.
"I want to first thank (general manager) Nick Caserio and the McNair family for giving me this opportunity," Smith said in a statement. "I'm humbled to be the next head coach of the Houston Texans and incredibly excited to continue to work with Nick. I have so many friends, family, teammates and coaches to thank for supporting me and helping me continue to do what I love, which is teaching and developing players. I understand the responsibility I have to this organization and this city to develop a championship-level program. I'm ready to get to work and build it together."
The Texans confirmed earlier Monday that they had "completed additional discussions" with Smith about the position. Former NFL quarterback Josh McCown and Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon each interviewed twice for the position but were dropped from consideration Sunday, according to multiple reports.
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The Texans also held multiple interviews with former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, who last Tuesday filed a proposed class-action lawsuit the NFL and three teams – the Dolphins, New York Giants and Denver Broncos – alleging discriminatory hiring practices.
Flores cited the Texans in his lawsuit for the organization's decision this offseason to fire Culley, who is Black, after only one season.
Smith, 63, coached under Culley in 2021 but previously served as the head coach of the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In Chicago, he was named the 2005 NFL Coach of the Year and led the Bears to Super Bowl 41, in which they fell to the Indianapolis Colts in what was the first ever Super Bowl matchup of two Black head coaches.
Smith went 8-24 with the Buccaneers from 2014-15 before being fired. He then served as Illinois' head coach, compiling a 17-39 record in five seasons.
The hire leaves the New Orleans Saints as the last NFL team with a head coaching vacancy this offseason after eight other teams completed their searches. The Minnesota Vikings cannot make their hiring of Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell official until after the Super Bowl.
Smith will be tasked with turning around a Texans organization defined by its upheaval in the last two seasons, during which the team has gone 8-25. During that span, the Texans parted with franchise greats DeAndre Hopkins and J.J. Watt in unceremonious fashion and struggled to reload its roster with young talent.
Three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson did not play last season amid his demand for a trade from the organization as well as 22 civil lawsuits and 10 criminal complaints from women alleging sexual assault and misconduct. The team hopes to trade Watson by the start of free agency on March 16, NFL Network reported, but the quarterback's legal situation remains unresolved.
"The last couple of seasons have been disappointing, but I believe in the vision Nick Caserio has for our football team moving forward and I see the pieces coming together," Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair said in a statement. "Our goal here is to create an environment that's conducive to winning on a day-to-day basis and compete for championships. I've had an extreme amount of respect for Lovie for years now and that only grew with the work he did last season and throughout this process. I'm excited for him and his family as we continue to evolve as an organization."