Texans officially hire DeMeco Ryans as next head coach

The Houston Texans have hired 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as their head coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal is reportedly for six years, though the amount has not been disclosed.

“DeMeco is a proven coach with a track record of success who has an innate ability to lead people,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said in a statement. “… We are working to build a sustainable program that has long-term success and DeMeco is the coach we feel is the best fit to help us achieve our goals. We know how important it is to get results now and we have a lot of work to do, but I’m excited to partner with DeMeco to build our football team together.”

Ryans played college football at Alabama from 2002-05, helping the Crimson Tide to a Cotton Bowl victory as a senior. He went on to become a second-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft to the Texans, so him taking the head coaching job is a reunion between the two. Ryans played for the Texans through 2011, winning Rookie of the Year in 2006 after recording 156 tackles, 3.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.

Following his 10-year NFL playing career, Ryans joined the San Francisco staff in 2017 as a defensive quality control coach. He worked his way up to linebackers coach by the next season and eventually defensive coordinator in 2021. The 49ers advanced to the NFC title game in each of the past two seasons, though they fell short both times.

This past season, the San Francisco defense tied for third in the NFL in yards allowed per play (5.0) under Ryans’ direction. The 49ers also tied for first in the league in interceptions (20) and ranked second in total turnovers forced (30).

DeMeco Ryans takes over a Texans team that finished 3-13 this past season. He will be the fourth head coach for the team in the past four seasons. He will be officially introduced on Thursday.

One of the biggest tasks for Ryans will be fixing the league’s worst rush defense, which allowed 170.2 yards per game. No team has allowed over 170 rushing yards since the 0-16 Lions (172.1) in 2008. The Texans also have finished 27th in points allowed per game three seasons in a row.