HOT BOARD: Who Could Replace Lovie Smith As Texans Coach?
HOUSTON — The Houston Texans wasted no time getting a jumpstart on the 2023 off-season.
Sunday night, the Texans fired Lovie Smith as coach after one season. Smith's jettison marks the second one-and-done coach in two consecutive seasons (David Culley) and the third head coach to be let go by the franchise since Bill O'Brien in October of 2020.
"Nick Caserio and I spoke with Lovie Smith [Sunday night] and informed him that we will be moving in a different direction as an organization," CEO Cal McNair said. "Our fans and city deserve a team that they can be proud of. I will work alongside Nick Caserio throughout this process, and I’m confident we will find the right leader for our football team."
Following Smith's dismissal, here are five realistic candidates the Texans should consider for their coaching vacancy.
Jonathan Gannon - Eagles defensive coordinator
Jonathan Gannon was a finalist to take the helm as the Texans' next head coach last year, and he appears to be the favorite again. Following another season as the defensive coordinator for the Eagles, Gannon has an even stronger candidacy in 2023.
Philadelphia established itself as one of the league's best defensive teams. He orchestrated a defense that held their opponents to an average of 301.5 yards and 20.2 points.
Gannon's defensive scheme would increase a Texans defense that has ranked near the bottom for three consecutive years.
Ejiro Evero - Broncos defensive coordinator
A fast riser in the coaching world, 42-year-old Ejiro Evero is coming off of his first year as the defensive coordinator for Broncos, where he helped Denver finish the year with the No. 7 ranked total defense in the NFL.
He has over a decade and a half of NFL experience to his name, and was part of the Rams Super Bowl LVI staff, serving as the secondary coach and passing game coordinator.
Per Texans Daily sources, he is a strong candidate for the position alongside Gannon.
Ben Johnson - Lions offensive coordinator
Ben Johnson helped bring some respect to the Detroit Lions, who finished the season with a 9-8 record. He turned the Lions into a top-10 offensive team while helping revise the career of quarterback Jared Goff.
Detroit finished the season with the fifth-highest-scoring offense (26.6 PPG) with the fourth-most yards in the league (380.0 YDS).
Mike Kafka - Giants offensive coordinator
Brian Daboll has received a ton of credit for the New York Giants' turnaround this season as head coach. But offensive coordinator Mike Kafka has been just as valuable.
Kafka improved the Giants' offense and elevated quarterback Daniel Jones into a player the franchise will consider signing to a long-term deal this off-season.
Kafka also spent five seasons under Andy Reid in Kansas City and helped develop Patrick Mahomes from 2017-2021. His track record makes him a pleasing candidate, given that the Texans will likely draft one of the top quarterback prospects, Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud.
Shane Steichen - Eagles offensive coordinator
As mentioned above, Gannon is a top coaching candidate for the Texans. But Houston should not limit their option to the defensive coordinator when viewing the Eagles' coaching staff. With Houston in a prime position to draft one of the top two quarterback prospects, offensive coordinator Shane Steichen should not go overlooked.
Steichen led Philadelphia to a top-five offense while helping quarterback Jalen Hurts reach MVP status within two seasons.
Jerod Mayo - Patriots linebackers coach
Mayo was another coaching candidate Caserio considered before Smith's hiring. The two parties worked together for two seasons in New England, so there is familiarity for Caserio.
However, the Texans' linebackers' room has been subpar over the last three seasons. And Mayo could help improve the position group while enhancing Houston's defense.
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