On Tuesday afternoon, Lovie Smith was introduced as the newest head coach of the Houston Texans.
During his introductory press conference, Smith revealed that retaining Pep Hamilton on his staff was a “must.” Hamilton interviewed with several teams for their offensive coordinators vacancies, but ultimately decided to return to the Texans.
“It was a must,” Smith said, via Cole Thompson of Texans Daily. “One of the first things I did right away was say, ‘Pep, we need you.’ We have a relationship.”
Hamilton has been around the NFL since 2003, spending time with the Bears, Browns, Chargers, Colts, 49ers, Jets and Texans.
For the majority of his career, Hamilton has been a passing game coordinator or quarterbacks coach. Now, he’ll get the chance to lead an NFL offense.
“I’ve known Pep Hamilton for a long time,” Smith told reporters. “I’ve tried to hire him before, but this feels like a perfect time for him to lead our offense.”
#WeAreTexans HC Lovie Smith: “I’ve known Pep Hamilton for a long time. I’ve tried to hire him before, but this feels like a perfect time for him to lead our offense.”
Hamilton is now the Texans OC for the 2022 season. He had interviews with multiple teams this offseason.
— Cole Thompson (@MrColeThompson) February 8, 2022
Hamilton will be tasked with leading an offense that scored just 16.5 points per game, the third-lowest mark in the NFL this season.
If the Texans want to have success on offense in 2022, they’ll need to add a few playmakers to their roster through free agency and the draft.
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