HOUSTON — The Houston Texans are expected to hire Lovie Smith as their head coach, a person familiar with the process told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity Monday because the team had not announced that Smith would be hired. The same source said an official announcement was expected later Monday or Tuesday morning.
Smith, who is Black, will be the second minority candidate to be hired this offseason after the Miami Dolphins hired San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who is biracial, on Sunday.
Smith spent last season as Houston’s associate head coach and defensive coordinator. He will take over for David Culley, who is also Black, and was fired after just one season.
The 63-year-old Smith joined the Texans last offseason after spending 2016-2020 as the coach at Illinois.
This will be the third NFL head coaching job for Smith, who coached the Chicago Bears for nine seasons and coached Tampa Bay for two seasons ending in 2015.
Now he takes over a team in the process of a complete rebuild after trading or releasing almost all of its top players in the past couple of years. The Texans went 4-13 last season in a year where star quarterback Deshaun Watson did not play after a trade request and amid 22 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment or assault.
Smith will become the fifth head coach in franchise history, following Dom Capers, Gary Kubiak, Bill O’Brien and Culley.
