Our long national nightmare is officially over yall: FOOTBALL SEASON IS HERE!

Every weekend from now until February will feature a football game somewhere and fans everywhere are filled with new hope about their teams upcoming season.

One man who is really excited about the upcoming season is a East Texas native who now has the opportunity to lead a Texas pro team, which is really a Texas Football kids dream when you think about it!

New Houston Texans Head Coach Lovie Smith Roots Run Deep In East Texas

Smith, who was born in Gladewater, grew up in Big Sandy where he played a vital role on one of the great defenses in the history of Texas high school football when he helped Big Sandy win three consecutive state championships in 1973, 1974 and 1975. Smith was an All-State selection at defensive end and linebacker and after he finished college, he returned to Big Sandy as the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator which started his legendary and remarkable coaching career.

Smith was promoted to head coach of The Houston Texans in February

After leading several teams including the Chicago Bears where he became the first black head coach to lead a team to the Super Bowl in 2006, he's finally back in the driver's seat as the head coach of the Houston Texans, a job that he says is "everything I could have asked for".

He Credits His Big Sandy Roots For Bringing Him To Where He Is Today.

According to CBS19, Smith said the following this week at training camp on Tuesday:

It’s been a dream come true. As a Big Sandy native and a high school product of the Lone Star State, I understand what it means to be a Texan and how important the game of football is to all of us....It just means more here. I have always wanted to be a head coach in this state, so leading this program is truly special. Just seeing how much the fans care about football and care about winning — it’s been everything I could have asked for.” - Lovie Smith

From Big Sandy To H-Town, we'll be rooting for your success Coach Smith!