Lovie Smith was fired as coach of the Houston Texans after just one season
With a 3-13-1 record in his single season as head coach, Lovie Smith was let go by the Houston Texans on Sunday night. The Texans have now sacked their second coach in as many seasons. David Culley was fired in January after just one season due to a 4-13 record.
“I’m constantly evaluating our football operation and believe this is the best decision for us at this time,” general manager Nick Caserio said in a statement announcing Smith’s firing. “It is my responsibility to build a comprehensive and competitive program that can sustain success over a long period of time.” “We aren’t there right now; however, with the support of the (team owner) McNair family and the resources available to us, I’m confident in the direction of our football program moving forward.”
Even though they had the poorest record in the NFL for most of the season, the Texans won two of their last three games, including a victory on Sunday over the Colts that cost Indianapolis the first selection in next year’s draft. Chicago’s 32-31 victory over Indianapolis awarded them the first overall pick in April’s draft, while Houston dropped to second. Other than Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh, Todd Bowles in Tampa Bay, and Mike McDaniel (who is biracial) in Miami, Smith (age 64) was one of the few black coaches in the NFL. While the league has made progress toward its goal of increasing the number of black managers in a league where the majority of players are black, it has fallen well short of that goal in recent years.
Thank you, Coach Smith. pic.twitter.com/j1lshub6u5
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) January 9, 2023
Smith spent one season as the defensive coordinator before being promoted to head coach. His 92-100-1 record includes nine years with the Bears and two with Tampa Bay; the 2022 season was his 12th as a head coach. Smith was told of the transfer Sunday night, and Texans owner Cal McNair released a statement thanking him for his “contributions over the last two seasons.”
“We are grateful for his leadership and character, and we wish him the best moving forward,” McNair said. “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.”
With his dismissal, the Texans will have their fourth head coach in as many seasons. Bill O’Brien, who was in his seventh season coaching the Houston Texans, was fired following the team’s first four 2020 games. The Texans have now dismissed their second coach in as many seasons. Dom Capers led the team for its first four seasons before being fired. Gary Kubiak succeeded him and lasted only eight seasons before being let go.
