‘African Americans Need Not Apply’: Stephen A. Smith Rips the Texans for Dumping Their Second Black Coach in as Many Years

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith blasted the Houston Texans organization for firing their second Black head coach in two years and urged other Black coaches not to work for them.

On Sunday night, the Texans announced they parted ways with head coach Lovie Smith after just one season with the organization. The Texans had a similar situation last year — firing David Culley at the end of the 2021-2022 season after just one campaign as their head coach. On Monday morning’s First Take, Stephen A. did not mince words when he addressed Smith’s firing.

“The Houston Texans organization, I’m going to say something loud and clear over the national airwaves, and I don’t give a damn what anybody thinks. African Americans need not apply,” Smith said. “This is not an organization that has been fair to African Americans, as far as I’m concerned.”

Stephen A. pointed to Culley and Smith as examples of how the Texans have treated Black coaches poorly, and urged young Black coaches not to consider working for them.

“I don’t like this organization,” Smith added.

The First Take host questioned how Texans’ general manager Nick Caserio still had his job after two failing seasons, and he was able to hire and fire Culley and Smith within two years.

“You are a GM, you just got there, and you’re going into your fourth head coach on opening day,” Smith continued. “Clearly, you don’t know what you’re doing when it comes to hiring a head coach and building a franchise.”

Smith explained that the Texans wanted to hire former NFL quarterback Josh McCown as their head coach last season, but the Texans reportedly got cold feet and went with Smith after former NFL head coach Brian Flores filed a discrimination lawsuit against the NFL after the Miami Dolphins fired him, and the New York Football Giants reportedly hired current head coach Brian Daboll before they interviewed Flores.

“As a fallback, you went to the Black dude who you clearly had no intentions of keeping!” Smith shouted. “You just wanted him to band-aid the issue for the moment to buy you some time before you did what you wanted to do.”

Smith dropped the hammer on the Texans and went on a fired-up rant about how future Black head coaches should avoid the organization entirely.

“The Houston Texans organization are an atrocity; they are an embarrassment!” Smith added. “And as far as I’m concerned, if you’re an African American, and you aspire to be a head coach in the National Football League, there’s 31 teams you should hope for!”

“You should hope beyond God that the Houston Texans never call you, not as long as that man is in there because it’s an embarrassment, and something needs to be said about it!” Smith concluded.

Watch above via ESPN.