Texans hire Lovie Smith as head coach

The Houston Texans hired associate head coach and defensive coordinator Lovie Smith as their new head coach Monday, the team announced.

Smith, 63, will replace David Culley, who was fired after the Texans finished third in the AFC South with a 4-13 record.

"(Smith) is one of the most respected coaches in the NFL and an established leader," Texans general manager Nick Caserio said in a statement. "We had numerous discussions with countless coaches, executives, and players, and what revealed itself is that Lovie has both the leadership and people skills it takes to lead us forward. We both understand how much work is in front of us, but we embrace the responsibility and look forward to continuing to build a program that can have sustained success."

Other finalists for the Houston job included Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores.

Smith, the 2005 AP Coach of the Year, sports an 89-87 record as a head coach. He held the role with the Chicago Bears for nine years (2004-12) and with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two seasons (2014-15).

The Texas native also coached Illinois from 2016-20.

Houston also promoted quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Pep Hamilton to offensive coordinator. Frank Ross will be retained as special teams coordinator.

The Texans hold the third overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.