Another season is in the books and another head coaching search is underway for the Houston Texans. This time though, the Texans look even worse after this season from an organizational aspect. The firing of Lovie Smith is going to bring a ton of negative publicity for the Texans. It is not even that Smith was this elite coach or that it is a necessarily surprising firing. But, was more expected of Lovie and this team?
Why Did the Texans Hire Lovie Smith in the first place?
When Dave Culley was fired, it was slightly head-scratching as Culley got four wins out of a very bad Houston roster. We at the Gridiron Review thought it was perhaps to chase a more noteworthy coach akin to Brian Flores. It is possible they had bigger hopes than Lovie Smith when Culley was fired, but they ended up with him either way,
This is not to say Lovie Smith is any slouch, as he is respected greatly in the NFL. Yet, for a young and talent-deficient team like Houston, a 64-year-old head coach hire did not seem to make sense. The only way it would not look bad is if Smith had a few years to build his vision for the team and slowly improve the roster. He seemed to start in the right direction, with rookies Stingley, Pierce, Green, Quitoriano, Harris, and Pitre all flashing at different points. This does not even consider John Metchie who missed the season while undergoing cancer treatment. He could still be an impact player if he returns to football at any point. Technically the credit goes to Nick Caserio, but Lovie definitely had a hand in taking Stingley 3rd overall.
What is next for the Texans
No matter the reasoning, the optics look awful with the Texans firing two minority coaches in back-to-back seasons when they clearly should not have had high expectations. Not that the firing has anything to do with them being minority coaches, but it does seem like Culley and Smith were hired as last resorts just to be fired a year later. In a time when the NFL and fans are pushing for more equality in coaching, this is not good. And it is not going unnoticed.
Rebuilds take time with a unified vision. Now you have your third head coach in three years. Was Lovie Smith supposed to win more than two games with this roster? Regardless, Houston is in an odd spot. On one hand, they have the second pick in the 2023 draft and could be in a prime position to take a quarterback. This could be very attractive to a prospective coach. It is the Gridiron Review’s opinion, however, that next year’s QB class is far superior to this year’s, and waiting for a guy like Caleb Williams could be worth it. If this is the vision Houston has, why did they fire Lovie Smith? It seems like whoever takes over as head coach will be forced to work with the likes of Bryce Young or CJ Stroud with a subpar weapons group surrounding them. We would pass on those options in favor of an elite defensive prospect or a trade-down, and look to land Caleb Williams or Drake Maye next year. Look for Houston to take a swing on a young and unproven coach that is probably their second or third option because convincing anyone to take this job is going to be tough. Look for it to be another rough year in Houston for whoever takes that job.