HOUSTON — When the Houston Texans fired David Culley, general manager Nick Caserio cited “philosophical differences” with the head coach, with some reports pointing to Culley wanting to keep his coaching staff intact.
But almost a month after firing Culley, following interviews with six external candidates, Caserio hired a member of Culley’s coaching staff in Lovie Smith. Smith, who will be the fifth head coach in franchise history (excluding interim coaches), was the Texans’ defensive coordinator and associate head coach in 2021. He spent the previous five seasons coaching the University of Illinois, where he amassed a 17-39 record before being fired.
The Texans interviewed three candidates twice: former NFL quarterback Josh McCown,
