The Houston Texans’ coaching search took a long, winding road to get to Lovie Smith.
The Texans started out with younger candidates on the horizon such as Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores, and even retired backup quarterback Josh McCown.
At the 11th hour, the Texans went ahead and promoted their defensive coordinator and associate head into the vacancy.
According to defensive tackle Roy Lopez, the team started to get enthused about the possibility of Smith taking the big job as soon as it was rumored he was a finalist.
“Yeah, it was awesome,” Lopez told reporters to promote his appearance as grand marshal for Fiesta Gras in Galveston. “We were all excited. It was — for a while there he wasn’t a candidate. So, the day that it came out, we were, like, man, that’s easy. That’s nice. We can play for Lovie. So, we were all excited about it and we all looked forward to keep growing every day.”
Lopez generated 31 combined tackles, 1.0 sack, five tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and a fumble recovery through 16 games, 15 of which he started as a sixth-round rookie. The former Arizona product looks forward to taking another step under Smith in year two.
Said Lopez: “It was nice for Lovie to take the step and just that way — last year was a stepping stone and keep growing and keep growing. We know exactly what he wants. So, being able to grow on that with being the best possible player we can individually and then be the best team as a whole.”
What helps make Smith a great coach, according to Lopez, is the 63-year-old’s ability to stay the same on a daily basis.
“Lovie is the same guy every single day,” said Lopez. “So, if he’s able to rub off on our team that way, we’ll be a great success.”