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The Houston Texans continue to struggle to find themselves and, more importantly, a leader, after the team fired its head coach, Lovie Smith, after just one season.

The news was announced Sunday after the team played its final game of the season. Even though they beat the Indianapolis Colts 32-31, it was not enough to recover from the overall disappointing 3-13-1 record.

“Nick Caserio and I spoke with Lovie Smith tonight and informed him that we will be moving in a different direction as an organization. I appreciate Coach Smith and his entire family for their contributions over the last two seasons,” said Cal McNair, Texans CEO. “We are grateful for his leadership and character, and we wish him the best moving forward. While we understand the results have not been what we had hoped for, we are committed to building a program that produces long-term, sustainable success. 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.”

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Lovie is the third coach to be fired in back-to-back seasons by the Texans. Last January, the Texans relieved David Culley, also after just one Culley went 4-13 in 2021. Smith was the defensive coordinator and associate head coach on Culley’s staff, and was elevated to head coach after Culley was terminated.

The hiring of Culley and Smith was exciting for the city as both are African American. The NFL has come under scrutiny for not having enough people of color in head coach positions. Still, both men were let go seemingly before being allowed time to find their footing.

Before that, former coach and GM Bill O’Brien was fired after starting 0-4 to begin the 2020 season after completing six full seasons. O’Brien was given one opportunity after another to continue on even when fans were pleading for him to be let go. Romeo Crennel was interim coach for 12 games in 2020 after O’Brien was fired.

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The Texans hired Caserio as their new GM in 2021. Caserio vows to find the right man to lead the team.

“On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Lovie Smith for everything he has contributed to our team over the last two seasons as a coach and a leader. I’m constantly evaluating our football operation and believe this is the best decision for us at this time,” Caserio said. “It is my responsibility to build a comprehensive and competitive program that can sustain success over a long period of time. We aren’t there right now, however, with the support of the McNair family and the resources available to us, I’m confident in the direction of our football program moving forward.”

The next coach the Texans hire will be their fifth in four seasons.