Report: Lovie Smith to Be Named Texans' Defensive Coordinator

New Houston Texans head coach David Culley is reportedly set to finalize the hire of former Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith as his defensive coordinator.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported the news Friday.

Smith spent the past five years leading the University of Illinois program. The Fighting Illini failed to make any substantial progress during his tenure, posting a 17-39 record with one bowl appearance. He was fired after a 2-5 start to the 2020 season.

The 62-year-old Texas native made the move to the college ranks after a similarly disappointing two-year stint as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs went 8-24 under his guidance.

Neither of those stops lived up to the standard he set with the Bears. He spent nine years in Chicago, going 81-63 with three playoff appearances, highlighted by a trip to Super Bowl XLI where the team came up short against the Indianapolis Colts, 29-17.

Smith and the Colts' Tony Dungy represented the first Black head coaches in Super Bowl history.

This will mark the first time Smith is going to operate as an NFL defensive coordinator since a three-year run with the St. Louis Rams from 2001 through 2003. The Rams ranked third in total defense during his first year followed by 13th and 16th in the subsequent seasons.

Nearly his entire 41-year coaching career has been focused on the defensive side of the ball.

Culley and the Texans will lean on that vast experience as they look to fix a defense that ranked 30th in yards allowed (416.8 per game) and 27th in points allowed (29 per game) during the 2020 campaign.

It's only part of the problem for Houston, which finished 4-12 and is now dealing with a trade request from star quarterback Deshaun Watson heading into the offseason.