Texans firing of Lovie Smith speaks to a bigger problem with franchise

The firing of Lovie Smith by the Houston Texans has come as a shock to few. Most fans knew he was on a one-year deal the moment he signed was a long time coming. Despite leading the team to a win in their final game of the season against the Indianapolis Colts, Smith’s time in Houston was always tumultuous.

From the very beginning, it was clear that Smith was not the first choice for the head coaching position. He was promoted from defensive coordinator and associate head coach on the staff of former head coach David Culley, who was also let go after just one season with the team.

The fact that the Texans have now fired back-to-back coaches after just one year is a clear indication that there was something fundamentally flawed with the leadership in place. Yet, there are reports that Texans owner Cal McNair has full confidence in GM Nick Caserio. How?

The team is now searching for its fourth head coach in four seasons, a concerning trend for any franchise. For the Texans, it’s made worse given the GM was responsible for two of those hires.

This news of Smith’s firing and McNair’s confidence in his GM should anger Texans fans. The fanbase has had to endure constant upheaval and instability at the top. Instead of being able to focus on building a winning team, the organization has been forced to constantly start from scratch and try to find the right leader.

It remains to be seen who the Texans will hire as their next head coach, but one thing is for certain: the team needs to find someone who can bring stability and long-term success to the organization. The constant turnover and lack of vision have cost the Texans dearly, and it’s time for a change. However, given their recent history, there’s a group of head coaching candidates who should decline to be part of that change.

Texans’ horrid history with African American coaches

The firing of Lovie Smith is yet another example of the team’s treatment of black coaches. As it stands there are only two black head coaches in the NFL, Mike Tomlin who never had a losing season, and Todd Bowles who coached his team to the playoffs

Since 2018 only five black coaches got a shot at a full-time head coaching job. Of those five, only Brian Flores coached more than two seasons. The other one was Todd Bowles and the last two, well, they were hired by the Texans.

Smith, who had just one season with the team, is the third African American head coach in a row to be let go after just a short period of time by the Texans. This trend is a clear indication that the Texans are not giving these coaches a real chance to succeed, and it speaks volumes about their commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The first African American head coach of the Texans was Romeo Crennel, who was hired in 2020 as an interim. However, he was fired after just one season, despite the team’s struggles being largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a rash of injuries. Crennel was given no real chance to turn things around, and his firing was a clear sign that the team was not serious about giving him a chance to succeed.

David Culley, the team’s second African American head coach, fared even worse. He was also fired after just one season, despite the team’s struggles being largely due to a lack of talent and a lack of commitment from the front office. Again, Culley was given no real chance to turn things around, and his firing was a clear sign that the team was not committed to giving him a chance to succeed.

Now that Smith has suffered the same fate. It is clear that the Texans are not giving these coaches a real chance to succeed, and this treatment of African American head coaches is unacceptable.