The Texans will “evaluate the future” of head coach Lovie Smith at the end of the 2022 campaign, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. As we heard last month, there appears to be real a chance that Houston will be conducting an HC search for the third consecutive year.
Given the team’s 2-12-1 record, that should not come as much of a surprise. Still, it’s not as if Houston came into the season with championship aspirations, and it would be difficult to imagine any head coach doing much better with a roster that is generally lacking in impact talent, including at the quarterback position.
Also, after making David Culley a one-and-done HC at the end of the 2021 season, the team would be eating a great deal of dead money for departed coaches if it were to move on from Smith now.
Smith, 64, is in the midst of his third stint as an NFL head coach. He operated as the Bears’ HC from 2004-12, a run that included a Super Bowl appearance, and he also served as the Bucs’ HC from 2014-15. Following his tenure in Tampa, he returned to the collegiate ranks as the University of Illinois’ head coach from 2016-20, and he became a part of Culley’s first (and only) staff last year when he agreed to become the Texans’ associate head coach and defensive coordinator.
After Culley was fired, it appeared that the Texans had narrowed their search for his successor to Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and recently-retired quarterback Josh McCown. Smith emerged seemingly out of nowhere to become Houston’s choice to replace Culley, and while GM Nick Caserio predictably denied as much, one wonders if Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL played a role in the team’s decision to go in a different direction.
If Smith is fired, Gannon could again find himself on Houston’s shortlist. McCown, meanwhile, has no NFL or college coaching experience of any kind, but he has now interviewed twice for the Texans’ HC post, and multiple other clubs have reached out to him to discuss a coaching position. Caserio could well consider him again in the event the club parts ways with Smith, but Caserio himself may not be around to spearhead another coaching search.
If the Texans elect to retain Smith, Rapoport and Pelissero indicate that other staffing changes could be on the horizon. Houston presently employs Pep Hamilton as its offensive coordinator and Frank Ross as its special teams coordinator. The team does not have a defensive coordinator, with the defensive-minded Smith holding those duties and calling defensive plays.
The NFL.com duo says the Texans will consider Smith’s entire body of work when making their decision, including the club’s recent stretch of improved play that features narrow losses to the playoff-bound Cowboys and Chiefs and a victory over the Titans.
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