The team’s defensive coordinator is now reportedly a prime candidate to become the head coach.
A frontrunner has emerged for the Texans head coaching job, and it’s an internal candidate.
According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Houston is in talks with associate head coach and defensive coordinator Lovie Smith about potentially becoming the franchise’s next head coach.
Per Schefter, the Texans have “included Lovie Smith in their discussions all along,” but his candidacy recently gained traction.
Prior to serving as Houston’s defensive coordinator this past season, Smith served as the head coach at the University of Illinois from 2016 to ’20. He was fired after the 2020 season after posting a 17–39 record overall.
Smith also served as a head coach at the NFL level, posting an 89–87 record overall over 11 total seasons with the Bears and Buccaneers.
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