When an organization goes with a new coach, the connotation is they are starting over; a fresh slate. The Houston Texans endure this feeling when they hired former Baltimore Ravens receivers coach and passing game coordinator David Culley as their coach in 2021.
With the Texans promoting defensive coordinator and associate head coach Lovie Smith to coach in 2022, the feeling is Houston has hit the reset button. However, they may have simply opted for an upgrade.
According to Smith, who met with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on March 2, the Texans are picking up where they left off, not starting over after naming him the fifth full-time coach in team history.
“What I got from that year, a lot of times, when you’re a new coach coming in, you don’t know anything about how things operate,” Smith said. “I got a chance to see a lot of the players that we’ll be bringing back. I’ve been with them for a year, know a little bit more about them, how things work in our organization. Get a chance to see our competition in our division on who we’re catching. So all of those things have to benefit the second year round.”
If there is a new element to the team, it can be found among the coaching staff. George Warhop replaces James Campen as offensive line coach, and Tim Berbenich takes over with the tight ends. Jacques Cesaire is the new defensive line coach, and Joe Danna will work as the safeties coach.
Even though they are new faces in Houston, they are familiar to Smith.
Said Smith: “A lot of coaches on the staff, I worked with them already. So many things that kind of gave us a head start on where we are and to also see what we can become.
“We won four games, everybody knows that. But we had options. Could have been a little bit more. I think from the Rams winning the Super Bowl to some of us that weren’t in the playoffs gives us hope, and I think we can catch up quickly.”
The Texans have ample salary cap space to make key decisions on returning veterans, and the sixth-best draft capital to build for the future. What helps is Houston isn’t starting over from scratch.
