The Houston Texans have fired coach Lovie Smith.
Buy Texans TicketsThe news comes after the Texans beat the Indianapolis Colts 32-31 at Lucas Oil Stadium to win their season finale. Houston finished the season 3-13-1, a step back from their 4-13 finish under rookie coach David Culley in 2021, who was also fired at the end of the season.
Smith told reporters after the game that he expected to be back in 2023 as the Texans’ coach.
“First off, they’re reports. I don’t know what the reports are,” Smith said. “Yeah, I meet with [chairman and CEO] Cal (McNair) every Monday. I met with him this past Monday. As far as — we talk about what’s happening the last game. We understand the totality of the season on what’s going on. Do I expect to be back? Yeah, I expect to be back. Absolutely.”
The Texans will have the No. 2 overall pick and the No. 12 overall pick in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL draft.
Cal McNair statement on Lovie Smith
“Nick Caserio and I spoke with Lovie Smith tonight and informed him that we will be moving in a different direction as an organization. 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. 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.”
General manager Nick Caserio statement
“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. 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.”
