According to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the Texans plan to evaluate HC Lovie Smith at the end of the season to see if he merits a second year on the job.
Although the Texans have been spunky the past few weeks, they still only have two wins on the season. Previous head coaches David Culley and Bill O’Brien were fired with more wins in their final season, though Houston probably would like to avoid firing three coaches in three seasons.
If Smith stays on in 2023, Rapoport and Pelissero say staff changes could be possible.
Smith, 64, began his coaching career back in 1980. He worked for a number of colleges before the Buccaneers hired him as their linebackers coach in 1996.
Smith was eventually hired as the Rams’ defensive coordinator before taking the Bears’ coaching job in 2004. He spent nine years in Chicago before the Buccaneers hired him in 2014.
After just two seasons with the Bucs, Smith was fired and eventually hired as the head coach at Illinois. The Texans hired Smith as their defensive coordinator in 2021 and he was promoted to head coach in 2022.
During his NFL coaching career, Smith led the Bears and Buccaneers to a record of 89-87 (50.6 percent), which includes three playoff appearances and a trip to the Super Bowl in 2006. He has a 2-12-1 record so far in his first season with the Texans.
At Illinois, Smith’s teams produced a record of 17-39.
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