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Report: Former Illinois HC Lovie Smith finalizing agreement to return to NFL

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

It appears Lovie Smith is headed back to the NFL after getting fired by Illinois.

Smith had a long tenure in the NFL, both as a defensive assistant and as a head coach, before coming to Champaign in 2016. After three poor seasons with the Illini, Smith led the program to a bowl game in 2019 and a 6-7 record.

Unfortunately, the momentum from that season did not carry into 2020. Some early season COVID-19 test results may have derailed the campaign, but Illinois finished at 2-5 under Smith with Illinois firing him ahead of the season finale against Penn State. He went 17-39 with the Illini.

On Friday morning, NFL insider Ian Rapoport is reporting Smith is expected to finalize a deal soon to become the new defensive coordinator of the Houston Texans. That report comes as Houston gets ready to introduce new head coach David Culley at a Friday afternoon press conference.

Smith landed his first DC job in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams in 2001. He then spent 11 years as a head coach, including nine with the Chicago Bears, beginning in 2004.

Best of luck to Smith if he is indeed back on his way to the NFL.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.