(SportsRadio 610) - Lovie Smith is entering his first regular season as an NFL head coach since 2015, when he coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 6-10 mark.
Upon accepting this most recent Texans offer, his third head coaching job since the Chicago Bears in 2004, Smith told reporters back in February he took the job because he liked the growth he'd been seeing.
"The opportunity presented itself to me, late in the game, I was just excited for it because I know what we can be around here," said Smith.
Smith has a way of getting his defenses to play tough and be disruptive.
During his 15 seasons in the NFL as a defensive coordinator and/or head coach, Smith's defenses have finished in the top 10 in takeaways 10 times.
Veteran Jerry Hughes, who spent the last nine seasons with the Buffalo Bills, helping that defense become one of the most tenacious in the league, recognizes that Smith knows a thing or two about putting players in position to succeed.
"He understands what it takes to be a Super Bowl caliber team and not only that, but a Super Bowl caliber defense," Hughes said . "I think a lot of guys are paying attention to that so we can turn this ship around and get ready for the Colts."
As their coordinator, Smith coached all of the returning defensive players like Jonathan Greenard, Desmond King II, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Kevin Pierre-Louis and others. These are players helping create the identity Smith wants for a defense.
They join a talented rookie class that includes cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and safety Jalen Pitre. They've been complimented this preseason with players like Hughes, Mario Addison and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo to name a few.
Smith and general manager Nick Caserio have assembled a locker room full of hungry players that are at various stages of their careers, but all with one goal in mind.
Winning.
"I have seen a day when it's tough playing inside NRG Stadium, and it's our responsibility to get the fans back and get them excited about the product we're going to put on the football field," Smith said. "I guarantee you we can do that."
While the overall product is a work in progress, Smith's defense is leading the way, allowing only 11 points per game this preseason after Thursday night's 17-0 shutout over the 49ers.
The Texans' 14 sacks lead the league this preseason. They are tied for fourth in interceptions with three.
The vision Smith had when he took on the role of head coach is taking shape and has become the team's identity.
Smith told reporters Friday morning that the offense's identity is getting closer to where he wants it to be as well.
"We want to be a tough football team that loves to run the football and I think that's what we have been trying to establish throughout the preseason," Smith said.
The offense is a work in progress, but overall, Smith says he's happy with the way his team has responded to coaching this preseason.
"I think they've done everything we've asked them to do throughout, and they like doing it," Smith said. "There's not a dictatorship. There's a certain way we're going to do things, that we believe in, that we know work. The players ask, 'what do I need to do coach?'. That's the approach everyone has taken from the moment I've been in this role. As a coaching staff, that's what we're dealing with daily and we don't expect it to change."
Shaun Bijani has spent the last 16 years covering the Houston sports scene for SportsRadio 610. Follow him on Twitter @ShaunBijani.
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