Houston Texans officially name Lovie Smith as defensive coordinator

HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans have hired Lovie Smith to join new head coach David Culley's staff as the team's defensive coordinator and associate head coach, the team announced on Wednesday.

In December, Smith was fired after five seasons as head coach at the University of Illinois, where he went 17-39. Before becoming the head coach at Illinois, his last two stops were NFL head coaching jobs: from 2004-12 in Chicago and 2014-15 in Tampa Bay.

In 2020, the Texans defense ranked 24th, according to Football Outsiders' DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average). Houston's secondary especially struggled after losing top cornerback Bradley Roby in November when he was suspended for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Former Texans defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver was hired by the Baltimore Ravens as their run game coordinator and defensive line coach.

Romeo Crennel, the interim coach last season following Bill O'Brien's dismissal after an 0-4 start, will remain with the team as the senior adviser for football performance.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this story