HOUSTON — The Houston Texans are looking for their fifth head coach in less than three years.
Late Sunday night, the organization announced Lovie Smith, 64, was let go after an abysmal 3-13-1 record in his only season at the helm.
The win over the Indianapolis Colts actually cost the Texans their chance at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. With Smith's firing, Houston is now paying three of its former head coaches to not coach the team.
Oddsmakers wasted no time trying to predict what direction the Texans will go with their next hire.
According to Bovada Sportsbook, New Orleans native and current Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is the favorite at +300.
Other notable names on the list include Dallas Cowboys coaching analyst Brian Schottenheimer, son of NFL coaching great Marty Schottenheimer, with his odds being +600. Finally, Buffalo Bills quarterbacks coach Joe Brady has his odds at +900.
Meanwhile, CBS Sports sees a former Texans star coming back to Houston to take over the head coaching reigns.
Current San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator and former Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans is expected to be a hot commodity for most teams looking for a new leader. Ryans played six seasons for Houston and was Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2006 as well as a two-time Pro Bowler.
After the Texans fired David Culley in Jan. 2022, the team launched a head coaching tracker of candidates considered for the position. The team interviewed Brian Flores, Hines Ward and Joe Lombardi, among others, before settling on Smith.