Houston Texans name defensive coordinator, Lovie Smith, as head coach

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Houston Texans name Lovie Smith as head coach

Lovie Smith will be the Texans' head coach next season, making him the fifth head coach in franchise history. In the video above, we break down his experience leading up to this moment.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Houston Texans confirm they hired Lovie Smith, the team's defensive coordinator and associate head coach, as the fifth head coach.

Puedes leer este artículo en Español aquí: Houston Texans nombran a Lovie Smith como nuevo entrenador en jefe

This makes him NFL's one of four minority head coaches.

"I am excited to introduce Lovie Smith as our next head coach," Texans General Manager Nick Caserio said in a release. "He is one of the most respected coaches in the NFL and an established leader. A proven winner, Lovie has shown the ability to develop players both on and off the field for years. We had numerous discussions with countless coaches, executives, and players, and what revealed itself is that Lovie has both the leadership and people skills it takes to lead us forward. We both understand how much work is in front of us, but we embrace the responsibility and look forward to continuing to build a program that can have sustained success."

Smith recently completed his first season with the Texans as their defensive coordinator, after joining the team prior to the 2021 season, according to a release. In his first season with the Texans, the team recorded 25 total takeaways, tied for 10th in the NFL, while intercepting 3.1 percent of opponent passing attempts, the fifth-highest rate in the league.

Smith was previously an NFL head coach with the Chicago Bears (2004-12) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2014-15). He joined David Culley's Texans staff in March last year after being fired following a five-year stint as head coach at the University of Illinois.

Smith has an 89-87 record as an NFL head coach and was the 2005 Associated Press Coach of the Year.

Smith, who is Black, now joins Miami Dolphins' Mike McDaniel, New York Jets' Robert Saleh, Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Tomlin and Washington Commanders' Ron Rivera as the league's only minority head coaches.

McCown was under consideration despite never coaching above the high school level. He first retired in 2019 after 17 years as an NFL quarterback and took a job as a high school quarterbacks coach in Charlotte, North Carolina, where his sons played. He continued to coach after coming out of retirement later in 2019. The Texans also interviewed McCown last year for the position eventually filled by Culley.

The Texans fired Culley on Jan. 13 after just one year at the helm. Houston went 4-13 in Culley's single season.

The Texans also interviewed Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, and former Steelers wide receiver and current Florida Atlantic receivers coach Hines Ward.

ESPN contributed to this report.

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