Getty Robert Quinn #94 of the Chicago Bears celebrates with teammates after a sack in the fourth quarter of the game against the New York Giants at Soldier Field on January 2, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
A former Chicago Bears head coach is back at the helm of an NFL franchise.
The Houston Texans have officially hired Lovie Smith as the team’s next head coach. The announcement came down on Monday afternoon, February 7 by way of the Texans official Twitter account.
OFFICIAL: We have hired Lovie Smith as head coach 😎
Details » t.co/d3J6FLqzDQ
“Official: We have hired Lovie Smith as head coach 😎,” the tweet said.
Winding Path Led Smith Back to NFL Head Coaching Job With Texans
GettyFormer Bears head coach Lovie Smith was named the head coach of the Houston Texans on Monday, February 7, 2022.
Smith spent last season as the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach with the Texans under David Culley. Houston afforded Culley just one season in the top job before moving on because of what general manager Nick Caserio referred to as “philosophical differences.”
For five years prior to 2021, Smith had departed the NFL entirely and moved to the collegiate ranks. He spent that time in the Big 10 as the head coach of the University of Illinois. Smith was never able to produce a winning season at a school without much history of football success. The Fighting Illini did earn their way to one bowl game during Smith’s tenure, playing in the Redbox Bowl after a 6-7 season in 2019, which the team lost.
ALL the latest Bears news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on Bears newsletter here!
The true measure of Smith’s success can be found and evaluated during his time as an NFL head coach before departing for the collegiate ranks. He took over as head coach of the Bears in 2004 after three years as defensive coordinator for the then St. Louis Rams. Chicago was 5-11 in his first season but saw an immediate turnaround after that, finishing the next year 11-5 and making it all the way to the Super Bowl in 2006 before ultimately falling to Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.
Smith produced five winning campaigns and a .500 season across nine years in Chicago, making the playoffs on three separate occasions. The Bears fired Smith after a 10-6 year in 2012. He caught on as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014, a job which he held for just two seasons before being dismissed again and moving on to Illinois.
Smith Comes Back to NFL Coaching At Tumultuous Time
GettyFormer head coach of the Miami Dolphins Brian Flores looks on from the sideline during a game against the New York Jets at Hard Rock Stadium on December 19, 2021 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Smith was named a finalist for the Texans head coaching position due to his previous position in Houston and his long history of experience and success as an NFL head coach.
He was named a finalist alongside former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, which added a wrinkle to the proceedings. On Thursday, February 8, Flores filed a class action lawsuit against the NFL alleging discriminatory hiring practices toward Black and minority individuals. The lawsuit also named three specific franchises as defendants: the Dolphins, the Denver Broncos and the New York Giants.
Culley, the former Texans head coach who Smith will replace after just one year at the helm, is also Black. Flores and his attorneys did not allege discriminatory practices against the Texans as part of the civil action filed last week, but they did put out a statement reacting to the complex development of Houston hiring an African American head coach who was not Flores.
ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter posted their statement on Twitter Monday.
After the Texans announced they hired Lovie Smith today, Brian Flores’ attorneys released this statement:
Mr. Flores is happy to hear that the Texans have hired a Black head coach, Lovie Smith, as Mr. Flores’ goal in bringing his case is to provide real opportunities for Black and minority candidates to be considered for coaching and executive positions within the NFL.
However, we would be remiss not to mention that Mr. Flores was one of three finalists for the Texans’ head coach position and, after a great interview and mutual interest, it is obvious that the only reason Mr. Flores was not selected was his decision to stand up against racial inequality across the NFL.
Smith will take over a Texans team that finished 4-13 last season, which tied them with the New York Jets for the second-worst record in the AFC.