On Monday January 30, 2023, The Houston Texans hired San Francisco 49ers Defensive Coordinator DeMeco Ryans. The former Texans linebacker expressed how pleased he is to have the chance to become the new head coach of the team he once belonged to, calling it his “dream job.”
Ryans said on Thursday afternoon, “It’s a dream job because we can win here. We’re going to win here by collaborating, working together and building it the right way with the right people.”
Ryans is the fourth coach the Texans have had in four seasons, replacing Lovie Smith, who had a 3-13-1 record during his only season in charge. The allure of the job for Ryans is personal, as the Texans originally drafted him in the second round out of Alabama in 2006.
In Ryan’s inaugural season in the NFL, he was honored as Defensive Rookie of the Year after recording an impressive 156 tackles – 126 of which were solo – placing him second in the league and amongst the all-time rookie leaders. He received second-team All-Pro honors and was selected for two Pro Bowls over the course of his 10-year career with the Texans and Philadelphia Eagles. Ryan was especially successful with his six seasons with the Texans and is now their all-time leader for tackles with a total of 479.
At his introducing press conference, Ryans was delighted and deeply moved to have Andre Johnson, Brian Cushing and Whitney Mercilus, all former Houston Texans Pro Bowlers, in the audience. “It’s outstanding,” he said, “to see all you guys here. The work we all put in together here. It means so much to me just to see you guys here and see your faces.”
In 2021, Ryan was hired as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator, a role in which he excelled immediately. His first season saw the team limit opponents to just 310 yards and 20.6 points per game, both good enough for third-best and fifth-best in the NFL. The following year was even more impressive, as the 49ers stymied opponents to the tune of 300.6 yards and a remarkable 16.8 points per game and amassed a league-high 30 takeaways. These numbers led the team to an 13-4 regular season record, the second seed in the playoffs, and ultimately, an NFC Championship Game loss to the Eagles, in which they fell 31-7.
Ryan is returning to the place where his career began, and the team is confident that he has the necessary leadership, football knowledge, and ability to lead the defense that is required for this new future. Cal McNair, Chairman and CEO, expressed his satisfaction in Ryan’s qualifications, stating that “He fits exactly what we’re looking forward to leading our team into the future.”
Bringing DeMeco Ryans to the Texans staff was an obvious choice,” GM Nick Caserio added. “He embodies everything we want to see in our team leader – selflessness, resilience, an unselfishness that puts the team before any individual, and a magnetic quality that will attract players to him. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have him join us.”
The Texans have the 2nd and 12th pick in the upcoming 2023 NFL draft and have about $40 million in salary cap space. Ryans expressed his excitement over leading the Texans’ young team in building a successful program. “We just need to bring in a few more pieces,” he said, “and then it’s full steam ahead. I’m so fired up and can’t wait to get to work on the coaching!”