NFC North

Texans Hire Lovie Smith As Head Coach

The Houston Texans have hired Lovie Smith as their new head coach. Smith, who is African American, is the second minority candidate to be hired this offseason after the Miami Dolphins brought on San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who is biracial, on Sunday. Smith, 63, spent last season as Houston’s associate head coach and defensive coordinator, and he’ll take over for David Culley, who also is African American and was fired after just one season, under dubious circumstances. Prior to the Texans, Smith spent 2016-2020 as the head coach at Illinois. “[Smith] is one of the …