Smith was hired after a coaching search a year ago that drifted between former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores as he sued the Dolphins, the NFL, Texans and Denver Broncos alleging discrimination and unfair hiring practices, former NFL quarterback Josh McCown, a favorite of former executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby who nearly landed the job, Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who interviewed twice, and Smith.
“Ultimately, Lovie was a bad hire,” a source said. “He’s a good man and a good coach. It was just a poor fit.”
Smith, 64, was characterized as an old-school coach who was as advertised in terms of applying a hard-nosed and hard-working approach to the game, but was unwilling to adapt his patented and outdated Tampa Cover 2 scheme despite its predictability.
“Nick Caserio and I spoke with Lovie Smith tonight and informed him that we will be moving in a different direction as an organization,” McNair said in a prepared statement. “I appreciate Coach Smith and his entire family for their contributions over the last two seasons. We are grateful for his leadership and character, and we wish him the best moving forward.
“While we understand the results have not been what we had hoped for, we are committed to building a program that produces long-term, sustainable success. Our fans and city deserve a team that they can be proud of. I will work alongside Nick Caserio throughout this process and I’m confident we will find the right leader for our football team.”
A highly respected Eagles defensive coordinator Gannon ranks as a top candidate the Texans’ wish list for a potential new head coach with mutual interest between the Cleveland native and former Louisville safety and an organization bereft of a solution at head coach, according to multiple league sources.
Several league sources have labeled Gannon as a top candidate for the Texans’ potential opening after he made a strong impression during his interviews with the Texans last season.
Gannon could possibly assemble an experienced staff with his connections to former Colts coach Frank Reich and Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer and Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson.
Gannon interviewed with the Texans, Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings during the last hiring cycle.
Gannon “knocked it out of the park” and “crushed” his meetings with NFL teams, impressing them with his knowledge, creativity, detailed plans about strategy and staff and his passion for the game, according to league sources.
One member of an NFL search committee said of Gannon: “He knows the answer before you even ask him the question.”
One NFL executive described Gannon as having some similarities to Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley 2.0. Staley and Gannon are close friends who grew up competing against each other in youth sports in Ohio.
“Incredibly intelligent and passionate,” a source said of Gannon. “This guy is a superstar. He’s worked with great people like George Paton and Rob Brzezinski with the Vikings. It says a lot that those guys think the world of the guy.”