There's another candidate in the mix for the Houston Texans head coaching job and it's a familiar face.
Lovie Smith, the Texans defensive coordinator and associate head coach, has emerged as a contender for the vacant Houston head coaching position and was interviewed for the vacancy on Sunday night, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Sunday evening.
Pelissero and Rapoport also reported that it looks as though longtime former NFL quarterback Josh McCown, who has interviewed for the team's head coaching job in each of the last two years, is seemingly out of contention.
Thusly, former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, who has interviewed twice for the Texans' job, and Smith are the known remaining candidates, Pelissero reported.
On Tuesday, Flores filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court against the NFL and three of its clubs -- the Broncos, Dolphins and Giants -- alleging a pattern of racist hiring practices by the league and racial discrimination. The suit also alleged that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross told Flores he would pay him $100,000 for each loss during the 2019 season, Flores' first with the team, so that Miami would end up with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Following Sunday's announcement that the Dolphins hired 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as their new head coach, the Texans and New Orleans Saints are the final two teams remaining with head coaching openings.
The Texans' opening exists following the firing of David Culley after just one season as Houston's head coach.
Smith, 63, is coming off his first season as Houston's defensive coordinator, but has an abundance of NFL coaching experience, including being a former Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach.
Smith began his NFL coaching career as a linebackers coach for the Bucs in 1996. Following two seasons as the St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator, Smith began a nine-season run as the Bears' head coach. With the Bears, Smith went 81-63 with three playoffs appearances, including a march to Super Bowl XLI where Chicago lost to the Indianapolis Colts.
Smith would go on to coach the Buccaneers from 2014-15 with an 8-24 showing and then moved to the college ranks where he coached Illinois from 2016 through 2020 before joining the Texans.
