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The Houston Texans have officially named Lovie Smith as their next head coach, the team confirmed Monday evening (February 7).
Smith is no stranger to the NFL or the Texans, having previously served as the Chicago Bears head coach from 2004 to 2012 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2014 to 2015. This past season, Smith, a Texas native, served as the Texans' associate head coach and defensive coordinator.
In 2005, the 63-year-old was named AP Coach of the Year.
His hiring comes after the Texans fired former head coach David Culley last month after just one season. At the time, Texans owner Nick Caserio didn't commit to naming Smith as head coach but noted that he "had a lot of respect and appreciation for what Lovie did this season."
"I think Lovie's a good coach and I think he's done a lot for our program and our system," Caserio said at the time. "Our players have a lot of belief in him."
Smith's hiring also comes after the Miami Dolphins fired former head coach Brian Flores. Flores, 40, is now suing the league and three teams for racist practices in hiring.
According to ESPN, the Texans interviewed Flores and five other candidates in addition to Smith for the job.
Smith and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin are now the only two Black head coaches currently in the league.
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