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Lovie Smith was fired as the Houston Texans' head coach a day after the conclusion of the NFL regular season. The Texans finished the season with a record of 3 - 13 - 1, their third straight losing season.
However, NFL analyst Bomani Jones saw the firing from another perspective. On the show CNN This Morning, Jones was asked about Smith's dismissal and the Texans organization.
He noted that the franchise has fired two black coaches in back-to-back seasons.
Jones said:
“Lovie Smith, who has an impeccable resume, wound up getting the job, but nobody was going to give him that job and anybody else was going to give him a head coaching job. So what the Texans are is a job where I think the last two times they've hired black dudes, largely because no self-respecting white man would go take that job."
Jones added:
"Like they [the Texans] were down to the people who they felt had to take the job. David Culley, whose name had never come up in a coaching discussion before, and then Lovie Smith, who probably had his last chance already.”
Lovie Smith was hired by the Texans to replace Culley, whom they also fired after one season. Culley went 4 - 13 in his lone season. With Smith's firing, it leaves the NFL with just two black head coaches: Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
Lovie Smith and his head coaching resume
Smith was hired by the Chicago Bears back in January 2004 after spending three seasons with the St. Louis Rams as their defensive coordinator. He was also the Buccaneers' linebackers coach for five seasons under Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy. Smith led the Bears to the playoffs three times under Smith, including a Super Bowl appearance back in the 2006-07 season.
The Bears fired Smith in December 2012 after nine seasons with the franchise. He finished with an 81 - 63 record, the third-most wins in franchise history. Only Hall of Famers George Halas (318) and Mike Ditka (106) had more wins. In January 2014, Smith was hired as the Buccaneers' head coach, lasting two seasons with the team, going 8 - 24.
While Smith's dismissal by the Houston Texans may seem like nothing, it's a whole lot more in the eyes of many NFL fans.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit CNN This Morning and H/T Sportskeeda.
