The Houston Texans baffled fans and pundits alike when they concluded their month-long coaching search with the promotion of defensive coordinator and associate head coach Lovie Smith to the top job.
Count Tiki Barber as one of those befuddled pundits. The former New York Giants All-Pro running back, who cohosts “Tiki & Tierney” with Brandon Tierney on WFAN in New York, told the Touchdown Wire that that the hiring of Smith was peculiar.
“One of the more bizarre situations I’ve seen in a while. This isn’t a knock on Lovie because I really like Lovie. I thought he got a raw deal in Chicago and then he really didn’t get a chance in Tampa. So, this is his third go-around as a minority head coach, pioneering in a sense. It’s sad to say that, but it is what it is.
“I think he’s a great hire, but it’s a confusing hire because he was on David Culley’s staff as a defensive coordinator. Now, I know ultimately how it worked out. You listen to the Houston Texans’ [general manager] (Nick) Caserio talk about it. He was consulting with them and they came to the realization, as we were consulting and going through this long search, Lovie just presented himself as the actual answer.
“But it reinforces that they hired David Culley to fail. That’s frustrating because David Culley is a good man and I think he got a lot of out of that team that nobody expected, but at the end of the day I think it comes down to continuity. So much uncertainty surrounding the roster. You needed some continuity instead of rebuilding another staff, another year despite the oddness of hiring the defensive coordinator after firing the head coach.”
Smith becomes the fifth full-time coach in Texans history and seeks to complete the rebuild for the organization in its 21st season of play.