Houston Texans hire Lovie Smith as head coach

The Houston Texans have hired Lovie Smith as their next head coach, the team announced Monday.

Smith was the Texans' associate head coach and defensive coordinator this past season.

"[Smith] is one of the most respected coaches in the NFL and an established leader," Texans general manager Nick Caserio said in a statement released by the team. «A proven winner, Lovie has shown the ability to develop players both on and off the field for years. We had numerous discussions with countless coaches, executives, and players, and what revealed itself is that Lovie has both the leadership and people skills it takes to lead us forward. We both understand how much work is in front of us, but we embrace the responsibility and look forward to continuing to build a program that can have sustained success.»

Smith replaces David Culley, who was fired by the Texans in mid-January, less than one year after he was hired. Under Smith, Houston's defense ranked 23rd in Football Outsiders' defense-adjusted value over average but had 25 takeaways in 2021.

«I'm humbled to be the next head coach of the Houston Texans and incredibly excited to continue to work with Nick,» Smith said in a statement. «I have so many friends, family, teammates and coaches to thank for supporting me and helping me continue to do what I love, which is teaching and developing players. I understand the responsibility I have to this organization and this city to develop a championship-level program. I'm ready to get to work and build it together.»

Smith was previously an NFL head coach with the Chicago Bears (2004-12) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2014-15). He joined Culley's staff after being fired after five seasons as head coach at the University of Illinois.

Smith has an