The Lovie Smith era in Houston is officially over.
The Texans have fired Smith after one season as head coach of the team, according to multiple reports.
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Smith, 64, oversaw a Texans team that went 3-13-1 this season. His firing comes a year after the Texans parted ways with David Culley after just one season, too.
While the decision to part ways with Smith was a strong likelihood prior to Sunday’s game against the Colts, his decision to go for a 2-point conversion rather than force a tie for overtime gave the Texans a 32-31 victory — a win that ultimately cost them the first overall pick as the Chicago Bears lost to the Minnesota Vikings.
The Texans will now shift their search for a third head coach in three years, all of which have come in the first three years of Nick Caserio’s tenure as general manager — a rarity for GMs in the NFL to get such chances.
Per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans could be likely candidates for the job.
Caserio and CEO Cal McNair released a statement confirming the decision:
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