DeMeco Ryans has led the Houston Texans to the playoffs in his first season as head coach of the team, and let’s just say Stephen A. Smith could have never seen it coming.
Smith and many others were irate when the Texans fired Lovie Smith last season. The former head coach went 3-13-1 after being handed a terrible roster and was given only one year to prove himself. After Houston decided to search for a fourth coach in four seasons, Stephen A. called the organization “an atrocity” and “an embarrassment.”
The ESPN analyst also said any up-and-coming black head coach candidates should “hope beyond God that the Houston Texans never call you” as long as chairman and CEO Cal McNair is in charge.
One year ago tomorrow, “If you’re an African American [head coach] you should hope beyond god the Texans never call you” The apology should be as loud as the disrespect @stephenasmith #WeAreTexans pic.twitter.com/8kAiJkhJBy
— Harley Dugan (@TheLead_HOU) January 7, 2024
Ryans did not take Stephen A.’s advice, and that seems to have worked out well for the former linebacker. The Texans hired Ryans and then drafted CJ Stroud, who has already shown he can win at the NFL level. Houston went 10-7, won the AFC South, and will host the Cleveland Browns in the opening round of the playoffs on Saturday.
Lovie Smith helped cost the Texans the No. 1 overall pick in the draft last year with a comeback win in Houston’s season finale. McNair’s reaction to that victory spoke volumes (video here). In hindsight, Lovie may have done the Texans a massive favor.
