Texans fire Lovie Smith after one season as head coach originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Lovie Smith’s winning day was short lived as the Houston Texans have fired the head coach after one year at the helm.
The Texans went 3-13-1 this season, but won their season closer in dramatic fashion on Sunday, effectively losing out to the Chicago Bears for the top overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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Franchise owner Cal McNair issued a statement thanking Smith for his contributions and focusing on future goals for the team.
“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,” McNair’s statement read. “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."
Caserio, who took over as general manager just over a year ago, added a statement of his own:
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“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. We aren't there right now, however, with the support of the McNair family and the resources available to us, I'm confident in the direction of our football program moving forward."
Smith was promoted to head coach by the Texans after serving as defensive coordinator for one season. He took over for David Culley, who was also fired after just one season.
Houston was Smith’s third stop as a head coach in the NFL, having previously led the Chicago Bears from 2004 - 2012 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2014 - 2015. His combined head coaching record is 92-100-1.
The Texans now enter the job hunt for the third time in as many years.
