While firing head coach Gary Kubiak today, Texans owner Bob McNair made it clear he was looking for experience.
And one guy with successful head coaching experience is sitting nearby.
McNair indicated that former Bears coach Lovie Smith was a possibility for the vacancy, and the timing gives him an advantage.
Smith has been sitting idle since being fired by the Bears, after compiling an 81-63 record in nine years as the Bears’ head coach. That should make him a hot commodity this offseason, in places beyond his native Texas.
That would trigger immediate speculation about the future of quarterback Jay Cutler, who could become a free agent this offseason.
But Smith’s candidacy would stand on its own merits, after a consistently successful run with the Bears.