Get to know Houston Texans Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Lovie Smith.
- Name is Lovie Lee Smith, and was named after his great aunt Lavana
- Born in Gladewater, Texas and grew up in Big Sandy, Texas
- Played on one of the best high school teams of all-time at Big Sandy. In 1975, the Wildcats went 14-0 and won a state title. Shut out 11 opponents, and outscored their opponents a combined 824-15.
- Played his college ball at Tulsa, where he was a two-time All-American defensive back and linebacker
- From 2004-2012 was head coach of the Chicago Bears, and went 81-63 (the third-most wins in the Bears history).
- Smith was named AP NFL Coach of the Year with the Bears in 2005 when he led the best defense in the NFL (12.6 points per game).
- Guided Bears to a Super Bowl appearance in the 2006 season
- Head coach at Illinois from 2016-2020
- Coached Texans linebacker Hardy Nickerson, Jr. for a year at Illinois
- As an assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coached Hardy Nickerson, Sr. from 1996-1999
- Was a college assistant coach from 1983 through 1995, working at Tulsa, Wisconsin, Arizona State, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio State
- Started NFL career as an assistant with Tampa Bay from 1996-2000
- Served as defensive coordinator for the Rams from 2001 through 2003
- Was head coach of the Buccaneers in 2014 and 2015
