The Houston Texans fired Lovie Smith on Sunday night after a single season in charge. The team is once again searching for a head coach after the Texans fired David Culley a year ago.

Houston's vacancy has its drawbacks and positives. The major drawback has to be the concerns about how patient the Texans will be. General manager Nick Caserio is on his third head coaching search already, with the last two coaches being one-and-done.

However, the positives are definitely worth mentioning. There are foundational pieces on offense, with running back Dameon Pierce and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil being bright spots.

The Texans also hold the second overall pick in the draft. This means a new coach could choose a blue-chip quarterback prospect to lead the team into the future.

Who will the Texans hire as their next head coach? What are the best Texans coaching candidates out there? Here are the three best options for Houston.

3) Ben Johnson, Lions offensive coordinator

The Detroit Lions began the season 1-6 but finished the season 8-2 for their first winning season since 2017. First-year coordinator Ben Johnson is a major reason the Lions put the “Same Old Lions” narrative to bed.

Detroit's offense lit the league on fire for most of the season. The Lions finished as the only NFC North team with a positive point differential. Johnson's offense finished fifth in the NFL in total points, third in total yards, and fourth in yards per game.

The 36-year-old was key behind the resurgence of Jared Goff. The former first-overall pick threw for 4438 yards, 29 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. Goff had just one turnover in the final 10 weeks of the season, a fumble against the Carolina Panthers.

Goff's resurgence led to the Lions offense holding on to the ball more than in previous years. In fact, the Lions offense threw the fewest interceptions in the league.

Johnson has interviews lined up with the Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Carolina Panthers. If Houston wants Johnson as their head coach, they may have to act quickly.

2) Shane Steichen, Eagles offensive coordinator

Johnson's offense was impressive this season. If the Texans don't like what they see in the Lions play-caller, however, they could look towards the Philadelphia Eagles for their next coach.

Shane Steichen has spent the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Eagles. The 2022 season was his breakout campaign, as the Eagles established themselves among the league's elite.

Steichen's offense ranked third in average yards per game this past season. The Eagles also finished second in total yards, second in total points, and third in average points per game.

The 37-year-old offensive play-caller is a major reason behind the emergence of quarterback Jalen Hurts. The Alabama product became an MVP candidate in 2022, throwing for 22 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Hurts was also a threat on the ground as well. He carried the ball 165 times, rushing for 760 yards. The Eagles quarterback scored 13 rushing touchdowns in 2022.

Steichen has shown the ability to develop a quarterback. His offense produced more than Johnson's, and he has slightly more experience as a coordinator. That may provide the 37-year-old a slight leg up in the race to become the next Texans coach.

1) Jonathan Gannon, Eagles defensive coordinator

If the Texans decide they want a defensive mind, the Eagles have another blue-chip candidate on the defensive side of their coaching staff.

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Jonathan Gannon has spent the last two seasons as Philadelphia's defensive coordinator. As Steichen turned around the Philly offense, Gannon turned the defense around.

The Eagles defense allowed the second-fewest yards per game in 2022. They also allowed the third-fewest total yards, eighth-fewest points per game, and eighth-fewest total points. Furthermore, Philadelphia had the third-highest turnover differential in the league with a +8.

Defense is certainly an area the Texans can upgrade in. They allowed the third-most yards per game, third-most total yards, and the sixth-most total points this past season.

If the Texans view their defense as needing an upgrade, then Gannon is certainly the right call here. However, it is worth noting the Texans defense finished top 10 in total takeaways with 27.

Despite that, they finished with a negative turnover differential. Houston's 28 giveaways on offense were the second-highest amount of giveaways by any team in the league, trailing only the Colts.

Do the Texans seek out an offensive mastermind to build a high-powered offensive-oriented team? Or do they hire a defensive guru who builds a dominant defense to guide the team into the future?

Only time will tell how they decide to proceed. Either way, there is no shortage of qualified Texans coaching candidates.