The Texans have followed through with a move which was expected leading up to the conclusion of the 2022 season. Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report that head coach Lovie Smith has been fired (Twitter link). A team announcement has confirmed it.
The decision to part ways makes Smith the second consecutive one-and-done bench boss in Houston. The 64-year-old was tapped as David Culley‘s replacement last year, after he led the team to a 4-13 record. Things were not expected to be much better for the franchise in 2022, and they certainly were not. 
Smith represented a highly experienced option compared to Culley in particular, given the former’s two previous HC gigs in the NFL. The first of those, a nine-year stint with the Bears, was highlighted by a Super Bowl appearance in 2006. Overall, he amassed a record of 81-63 in the Windy City, leading him to a brief stay in Tampa Bay. That, however, did not go according to plan as the Buccaneers went 8-24 under Smith.
The veteran coach received a third opportunity to lead a team last season with his promotion from DC of the Texans, a role he held for one season prior. His ascension to the top spot on the sidelines came during a time in which the organization was under fire for their handling of the search for Culley’s replacement. Houston had reportedly narrowed their search to Eagles DC Jonathon Gannon, former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and recently-retired quarterback Josh McCown. The latter’s distinct lack of experience was a main talking point in the wake of Flores’ racial discrimination lawsuit.
The Texans pivoted late in the process to Smith, who was unable to turn (generally) consistent effort from one of the league’s least-talented rosters into much in the win-loss column. Houston finished this season with a 3-13-1 record, including a last-minute win earlier today to drop them from first to second overall in the draft order. The AFC South outfit ranked last in the league in total offense, and 30th in total defense.
With the team in need of a long-term answer at quarterback after Davis Mills failed to take a step forward in Year 2 relative to an encouraging rookie season, Houston does have some otherwise attractive qualities. Those include the No. 2 pick which will likely be used to address the QB position, another first-rounder owing to the Deshaun Watson trade, and a favorable cap situation. The recent turnover on the sidelines the franchise has experienced will, on the other hand, likely scare off at least some potential candidates.
One of those could be former Texans linebacker and current 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans, who was named recently as a logical replacement in the event Smith were to be fired. The latter had publicly spoken out earlier today against the notion he would be dismissed, but those comments have proven to be fruitless. Attention will now turn to the job security of GM Nick Caserio, something which has become a matter of debate recently.
In a statement, the latter said in part, “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. I’m constantly evaluating our football operation and believe this is the best decision for us at this time… With the support of the McNair family and the resources available to us, I’m confident in the direction of our program moving forward.”
Caserio appears to be safe for the time being, but the Texans remain in a state of flux heading into the 2023 coaching cycle. Given his age and lack of success in Houston, it remains to be seen if Smith will pursue other coaching opportunities down the road, either in the NFL or college ranks.
Whoops. I just read where when asked he said he expected to be back. Psych. Maybe Goodell can put out another memo about using restraint to fire Coaches and GM’s. Lot of good it will do.
Good for Lovie for winning the last game as a lame duck. Stick it to Houston by losing the #1 overall pick to Chicago while going out with his head held high.
Lovie Smith and Davis Mills giving the middle finger to the Texans in their last game with the team is objectively hilarious
Demeco Ryans
Shane Streichen
Ben Johnson
Mike Kafka
Shane Waldron
I get the feeling the Texans will pair a young offensive mind with their new franchise qb.
Texans could walk away with their qb of the future and a new #1 receiver like Jordan Addison in the 1st round of the draft.
Cool name lol
The Texans will Texans it. That’s what bad organizations do.
The most Texans thing they could do would be to give the job to Urban Meyer…
This sets a bad precedent. If I were an up and coming head coach I would think twice about accepting any offer from this team.
I 100% agree. This is a job you only take if you strongly believe it’ll be your only opportunity around the league. Not only is this team bad, it is directionless at the top.
For sure. 5 years at 10 million a year, fully guaranteed is what Demeco should shoot for.
I don’t understand why teams do this. Everyone knew the Texans would suck this season. Why are they firing a coach again after only 1 season? It takes time to build a winning culture and coaching turnover does not accomplish this.
Because he didn’t let them suck enough..by losing the season finale.
Idiot Cal McNair knows zip about football or business. I actually thinks he’s low IQ. He’s killed the team he won in the lucky sperm club. Fan poll this morning said ‘owner’ is the biggest fix needed.
IMO… their knee-jerk firing of David Culley last year was the reason Lovie Smith was the best option they could get to replace him. Now they fire him as well for also not being able to polish their turd.
They will find even less interest in their dumpster fire this time around.
Just like you don’t date drama queens, you don’t take a job with a high turnover employer.
The NFL is no different… maybe even more so, as the hiring and firings are so public.
This dumpster fire will be burning for a few more years.
Wes Phillips.
Hello Josh McCown
Enjoy potentially missing out on Bryce Young you loser org!
Stroud is better… Bryce is too small
They can get C.J. Stroud, who is a better passer
Why exactly did they hire him then? They clearly never believed in him to begin with.
Unless they really think the team underperformed under him this year, which we all know is not the case.
If anything, they were more competitive than was expected.
Because they were essentially told they have to with the Flores lawsuit. It was clear they wanted McCown
I said this in another post, but I have the theory that Caserio wanted to absolutely stink for two years while he builds his draft capital and makes the changes that he wants around the organization. He thinks, if this is true, that he can flip the switch when he’s ready and start investing into the roster. Culley was fired for actually motivating the roster too much, Smith was fired after serving his purpose. What Caserio doesn’t consider in this scenario is the damage done to the organization’s culture as s whole that will be nearly impossible to fix.
Should have been Casierio
I don’t see how Caserio also doesn’t get the boot. Two coaches in two years, with neither being fired for off-the-field reasons just doesn’t look good. Imo the Culley hire was a token hire to try and please Deshaun Watson by hiring a black HC since they missed on Watson’s preferred choice of Eric Bieniemy and the Lovie Smith hire was probably just as much of a token hire since they were getting some flak for the Brian Flores situation + the reports of McCown being a finalist despite having no experience above the college level. To me, that either suggests Caserio is a “yes man” and just hiring whoever the owners tell him to or Caserio has no idea what he’s doing (and both are possible).
I get there are only 32 NFL head coaching jobs available, but why would any potential coach want to take this job? The roster really isn’t that good so there’s not much reason currently to think a new franchise qb is suddenly turning this team into a contender. If the team sucks again, Caserio probably gets the boot meaning a new GM who is inheriting a coach which could lead to a 4th coach in 4 seasons or a coach who will find himself on the hot seat in his second year. Or ownership gets cheap and doesn’t want to be paying four coaching staffs at once and keeps a bad coach for an extra year or two meaning more wasted years.
The best thing to do is to wipe the slate clean. Fire Caserio, bring in a new GM who can bring in their guy to be the HC. Let that duo grow with whoever the Texans end up taking at #2.
Crap organizations will be crap organizations. No surprise here.
Traded away any possibility to compete for years for Tunsil
Traded Nuke
Covered for Watson
They’re a joke
Stupid. Nobody was going to win with that roster and a bad 2nd string QB as your starter. All you can ask is the team play hard and he sure got that out of a team even through this week.
Really does feel like this was predetermined before the year even started as a stopgap.
Terrible organization. They first accept the bad things Watson was doing off the field until he wanted to go. Then they leaked it to media. They literally fired a coach last year for losing with a bad team and now the same is being done with Lovie as if he was Flores!! Texans are a poorly run team!
What a trash fire organization.
The inmates aren’t running the prison, morons are running the football team.
Another know nothing silver spoon whose lone achievement in life was living longer than his father throwing darts.
Oh man, they fired Shady Grady
How can this be?
He had them competitive most games
Oh well, he will land somewhere else
Texans beat the titans, went toe toe with the chiefs and cowboys weeks 14/15/16 and week 18 beat the colts, I may of hung onto him. Maybe this is what got him fired winning and being competitive
Rumor in Houston is that they are interested in Freddie Kitchens.
He may be the only one interested in the job.
McNair really needs to sell the team. The Texans are a joke of an organization at this point. What good coach would possibly want this job? You give an idiot like Bill O’Brien complete power and every opportunity to completely screw up the organization from top to and bottom and then give his two successors one season each to turn his trash into treasure.
I can’t stand McNair or BOB, but future draft capital could make it a desirable location for some coaches. However, they would have to get the guarantee to be around when these picks start maturing.
Josh McCown music
“Tire World.”
He got a lot out of nothing! The Texans played a lot of fairly close games. He did a good job.
I know what the record is. I just use the eye test to tell you that thr Texans fought hard all year. They stayed in games with good D and had a running game when Pierce was healthy. But they loaded the box because no one was scared of Mills/Allen. I hope he gets a DC job at least because he can still coach up a D. But that dumpster fire in Houston wasn’t his fault.
They played hard at the end. They were terrible most of the games before the last month.
Don’t the Browns have the record for most HC replacements over consecutive seasons?
I’ve heard that the Texans job should be Brian Flores job. Caserio wanted him before the lawsuit once that deviated the owner wanted Lovie while Easterbay wanted McCown. The owner was proved wrong while Caserio told him no and that’s why he’s getting a third time at bat which NO GM ever gets.