HOUSTON (KIAH) — The Houston Texans have fired head coach Lovie Smith, the second straight time the team has let their head coach go at the end of a season.

Smith led the Texans to a dismal 3-13-1 record in 2022, despite Sunday’s 32-31 win at Indianapolis that ended up costing the Texans the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Texans will instead have the No. 2 pick behind Chicago.

Cal McNair, the team’s chairman and CEO, along with general manager Nick Caserio, announced the decision to let Smith go late Sunday night.

“I appreciate Coach Smith and his entire family for their contributions over the last two seasons. We are grateful for his leadership and character, and we wish him the best moving forward,” McNair said in a statement. “While we understand the results have not been what we had hoped for, we are committed to building a program that produces long-term, sustainable success.

“Our fans and city deserve a team that they can be proud of. I will work alongside Nick Caserio throughout this process and I’m confident we will find the right leader for our football team.”

It’s the second straight season in which the Texans have fired a coach after just one year. They parted ways with David Culley last January after he went 4-13 in his only season.

Smith was asked about his future after Sunday’s game at Indianapolis and seemed confident that he’d return next season.

Hours later, he was out of a job.

Now the Texans must find another head coach to lead the team out of the doldrums. And Caserio must now hire his third head coach in as many seasons.

“I’m constantly evaluating our football operation and believe this is the best decision for us at this time. It is my responsibility to build a comprehensive and competitive program that can sustain success over a long period of time,” Caserio said in a statement.

“We aren’t there right now, however, with the support of the McNair family and the resources available to us, I’m confident in the direction of our football program moving forward.”