Lovie Smith fired by Houston Texans after just one season… hours after saying he expects to stay

Lovie Smith fought to the bitter end to help the Houston Texans win at the end of a dismal season, with her fate likely already sealed.

Hours later, he lost his job.

Smith was fired as the Texans’ coach Sunday night after just one season in which the team went 3-13-1.

It’s the second straight season the Texans have fired a coach after one year. They parted ways with David Culley last January after he went 4-13 in his one season.

Lovie Smith was fired as the Texans’ coach Sunday night after just one season.

“I am constantly evaluating our football operation and believe this is the best decision for us at this time,” general manager Nick Caserio said in a statement announcing the team is parting ways with Smith. ‘It is my responsibility to build a comprehensive and competitive program that can sustain success over a long period of time. We are not there right now, however, with the support of the McNair family (who own the team) and the resources available to us, I am confident in the direction of our soccer program going forward.’

Smith was asked about his future after Sunday’s win at Indianapolis and seemed confident he would return next season.

“We understand the totality of the season,” he said. ‘Do I hope to return? Yes, I hope to return, absolutely.

The Texans had the worst record in the league for most of the season, but have won two of their last three games, capped by Sunday’s win over the Colts that cost the team the first overall pick in next year’s draft. . The 32-31 win over Indianapolis gave Chicago the No. 1 pick and left Houston with the No. 2 pick in the April draft.

Davis Mills connected with Jordan Akins on a 28-yard touchdown pass with 50 seconds remaining Sunday against the Colts. Mills then found Akins again for the 2-point conversion to put the Texans on top for good.

Smith was asked about the win that blew Houston’s chance at the No. 1 pick in the draft.

“So, they’re saying, guys, playing this last game, everything you’ve been working for your whole life, you play to win, forget it, lose the game on purpose,” Smith said. ‘I think it would be difficult to get ahead. They wouldn’t expect me to say that.

‘I did not do it. Every week our game plan is to win the game. It’s something as simple as that. That is what we follow today.’

Smith was asked about his future after Sunday’s win at Indianapolis and was expected to stay.

Texans owner Cal McNair said in a statement that he and Caserio informed Smith of the move Sunday night and thanked him for his “contributions over the past two seasons.”

“We are grateful for his leadership and character, and we wish him the best moving forward,” McNair said. ‘While we understand that the results have not been what we expected, we are committed to building a program that produces long-term, sustainable success. Our fans and the city deserve a team they can be proud of. I will work alongside Nick Caserio throughout this process and I am confident that we will find the right leader for our soccer team.”

His firing will give the Texans a fourth head coach in as many years. Culley was hired after coach Bill O’Brien was fired after losing the first four games in 2020 in his seventh season in Houston.

This is the second time the Texans have fired a coach after just one year. Dom Capers was the team’s first coach and spent four seasons at the helm before being fired. Gary Kubiak took over and was fired in his eighth season.

This season was Houston’s third with a losing record after the team went 4-12 in 2020. That season came after they had won the AFC South the previous two seasons.