Lovie Smith is returning to the NFL.
The former Chicago Bears coach agreed with the Houston Texans to become the defensive coordinator for new coach David Culley, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
The #Texans agreed to a deal with Lovie Smith to make him David Culley’s defensive defensive coordinator, the source said. Smith is back in the NFL and will play for Houston.
– Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 29, 2021
Smith joins the Texans after a five-year stint as head coach at the University of Illinois, where he racked up a 17-39 record. His term ended after a 2-5 season in 2020.
Prior to Illinois, Smith was the head coach of the Bears for nine seasons and played the same role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two seasons. He holds a record of 89-87 as a professional trainer, highlighted by a trip to the Super Bowl XLI in 2007 with the Bears.
How David Culley’s Texas team is getting ready
Smith’s addition adds a veteran coach to Culley’s team, the oldest coach for the first time in NFL history. The Texans hired Culley, a longtime assistant to coach Andy Reid of Kansas City Chiefs of the Baltimore Ravens, where he was an associate coach, passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.
Opposite Smith will be offensive coordinator Tim Kelly, who was hired by Bill O’Brien’s team, for Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Smith will reportedly call defense plays, and it seems likely that Kelly will do the same after calling offensive players under Bill O’Brien.
The team’s other major signing is reportedly Pep Hamilton as a defender coach for Rapoport. Hamilton just spent a season with the Los Angeles Chargers training Justin Herbert for a stellar debut campaign. The team also targeted active quarterback Josh McCown, who was interviewed for the position of chief coach, as an assistant, although it is unclear whether Hamilton’s hiring stands in the way.
As for the defender’s position, well, let’s just say it’s complicated.
More from Yahoo Sports: