The 2023 NFL coaching cycle is already well underway. Several teams didn't bother waiting for the start of the offseason to get a head start on their next search, but more are now joining the fray with the regular season in the books. The Texans kicked off the next wave of change late Sunday, firing Lovie Smith nearly a calendar year after dismissing David Culley, who also lasted just one season as the team's head honcho. What's next? And which big names could soon be hired as replacements?
Stay tuned here throughout the start of the offseason for updates on which coaches have been sent packing:
Texans fire Lovie SmithDate: Jan. 8 | Seasons: 1 | Record: 3-13-1
Nearly a calendar year after firing David Culley just one season into his tenure as head coach, the Texans followed suit with Smith, 64, dismissing the coach just hours after he guided Houston to a Week 18 upset over the Colts. Originally hired as Culley's defensive coordinator in 2021, Smith was promoted to the top job after an extensive interview process last offseason, and went 3-13-1 on the job. He said ahead of Sunday's regular-season finale he expected to return in 2023, and led the Texans to two wins in their final three games, but also surrendered the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft in doing so. Despite guiding a competitive defense for much of the year, Smith never elevated an undermanned offense, and hasn't posted a winning record since 2012.
Potential replacements: 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans and Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon figure to be top targets, per NFL Media. Ryans notably played for the Texans before his rise in the coaching ranks, and Gannon spoke extensively with Houston a year ago. Longtime backup quarterback Josh McCown has also been an unorthodox candidate for the team before.
Previously firedThese coaches were dismissed before the end of the 2022 NFL season:
Nathaniel Hackett
Broncos
Dec. 26
4-11Frank Reich Colts Nov. 7 3-5-1
