Lovie Smith Fired: 5 HC alternatives who can take up the Texans job

The Houston Texans are a franchise that have been down over the past several years.

With Lovie Smith now out the door, they are starting over with what will be their third new head coach to start a season since 2020. At this point, the job would make most candidates expect to feel the heat from day one.

Big names like Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh will likely pass on the Texans due to the high turnover and seemingly ground-level stage of where the team is at. As such, it will most likely be up to effectively drafting a rookie head coach to take the reins in 2023.

Here's a look at five candidates (in no particular order) that the Texans should be interested in over the coming days and weeks.

---

#1 DeMeco Ryans - DC San Francisco 49ers

Demeco Ryans at San Francisco 49ers Training Camp

DeMeco Ryans' defense was ranked first overall in the 2022 regular season. As such, if the Texans want to go in a defensive direction, they can start by getting the mind behind the San Francisco Giants defense.

This was Ryans' second regular season as a defensive coordinator and he has no head coach experience. Therefore, if hired, many would expect some early blunders in his first season with the Texans. However, if he hits, Houston could see a jump in late October or later.

Considering the pattern of losing that the franchise has faced over the years, it may take time for a new head coach to change the culture and the mindset. However, after spending the last six seasons with the successful 49ers, Ryans should have the mindset baked in.

---

#2 Ejiro Evero - DC Denver Broncos

Ejiro Evero at Denver Broncos v Las Vegas Raiders

If you can't pluck a star defensive coordinator from a winning franchise, the next best thing would be to pluck a bright defensive mind from a losing franchise.

While the Denver Broncos only won five games this season, it was very rarely because of their offense. Ejiro Evero's Broncos squad spent much of the season as a top-five defense despite having one of the worst offenses in franchise history for the first several months.

When Nathaniel Hackett was fired by Denver after the Christmas Day massacre against the Los Angeles Rams, Evero was asked if he wanted to be the interim head coach. If that's not an indication of the Broncos' level of respect for him, nothing is.

---

#3 Jonathan Gannon - DC Philadelphia Eagles

Jonathan Gannon at Los Angeles Chargers v Philadelphia Eagles

Another option for the Houston Texans would be to bring in Jonathan Gannon, the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles boasted the second-ranked defense in the NFL in 2022, averaging just 1.5 more yards per game than the San Francisco 49ers. The Eagles finished as the top seed in the NFC, so Gannon will have playoff experience and will be able to lead Houston in that arena if the team gets that far.

He's been coaching since he was 20 and is now 39, approaching nearly 20 years of coaching experience. If Gannon hits, the Texans have the potential to keep him for 20-30 years.

---

#4 Kliff Kingsbury - HC Arizona Cardinals

Kliff Kingsbury at Arizona Cardinals v Seattle Seahawks

Kliff Kingsbury hasn't been fired by the Arizona Cardinals as yet. However, if his time with the team doesn't survive January as fans are bracing for, the Texans could be a team still looking for their coach of the future.

Kingsbury would offer something that Houston has lacked since firing Bill O'Brien. After coaching in the league for four years, he would also likely skip the typical growing pains associated with candidates who are rookie head coaches.

Kingsbury may not be someone that many believe can get the Houston Texans to the Super Bowl or perhaps even the playoffs. However, he can steady the ship and push the team to a better record in 2023 than in 2022.

Even in seasons that ultimately didn't go the Cardinals' way, there were still runs of domination, which would be a massive upgrade for the Texans.

---

#5 Brian Callahan - OC Cincinnati Bengals

Brian Callahan (left) and Joe Burrow (right) at Cincinnati Bengals Training Camp

Zac Taylor was originally hired by the Cincinnati Bengals due to his success with Sean McVay. As such, hiring an underling of Taylor in Brian Callahan would be like hiring an underling from McVay. It would be highly experimental, but could have the highest ceiling in 2023 and 2024.

Callahan has been the offensive coordinator for the Bengals since 2019 and has also worked with the Denver Broncos during the Peyton Manning era. This means he's been part of two successful eras with two different teams. It could be interesting to see if he can generate another good run with the Texans.