It’s the Monday after the NFL regular season comes to an end, which means some teams are firing their head coaches. It was announced on Sunday night that the Houston Texans fired Lovie Smith after the team went 3-13-1 in his first season. Smith joined the team in 2021 to be the team’s defensive coordinator and associate head coach.
“Nick Caserio and I spoke with Lovie Smith tonight and informed him that we will be moving in a different direction as an organization,” Texans owner Cal McNair said in a statement. “I appreciate Coach Smith and his entire family for their contributions over the last two seasons. We are grateful for his leadership and character, and we wish him the best moving forward. While we understand the results have not been what we had hoped for, we are committed to building a program that produces long-term, sustainable success. Our fans and city deserve a team that they can be proud of. I will work alongside Nick Caserio throughout this process and I’m confident we will find the right leader for our football team.”
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The Texans have fired head coaches in back-to-back seasons after being with the team for just one year. At this time last year, Houston fired David Culley after hiring him following the 2020 season. The Texans will now be looking for their fourth head coach in four seasons. In the early stages of the 2020 season, the Texans fired Bill O’Brien after the team started 0-4.
“On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Lovie Smith for everything he has contributed to our team over the last two seasons as a coach and a leader,” Caserio, the Texans general manager, said in a statement. “I’m constantly evaluating our football operation and believe this is the best decision for us at this time. It is my responsibility to build a comprehensive and competitive program that can sustain success over a long period of time.”
Smith, 64, started his NFL head coaching career in 2004 when he became the head coach of the Chicago Bears. He was named Coach of the Year in 2005 after leading the Bears to an 11-5 record and NFC North Championship. The following year, the Bears went 13-3 and earned a trip to the Super Bowl but lost to the Indianapolis Colts. Smith was with the Bears until the end of the 2012 season and finished with an 81-63 record. In 2014, Smith became the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and posted an 8-24 record in two seasons. In 2016, Smith went back to college and became the head coach of the University of Illinois football team. In five seasons, Smith won 17 games and lost 39.
