49ers DC DeMeco Ryans is Being Hired as Next Head Coach of the Texans
Congratulations are in order for 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans.
The Houston Texans are hiring Ryans to a six-year deal to become their next head coach, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Ryans had interviewed with multiple teams, but it came down to the Denver Broncos and the Texans. Both franchises had Ryans as their top candidate to become their next head coach
In the end, Ryans chooses the team who brought him into the league where he spent six of his 10 years of his career at. The Texans are getting a phenomenal coach and an even better person. Ryans steps into a situation where the Texans are in the slums of the NFL. But they have a heap of draft capital and salary cap space, so that luxury had to have been an added allure for Ryans. Not to mention that he has family ties in Houston.
The 49ers will gain a compensatory third-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft with Ryans heading to Houston. Ryans will surely be missed in San Francisco. His two seasons as defensive coordinator was pure art. Taking over for former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh who became the Jets' head coach was a lot of pressure. The bar was set so high with Saleh leading the 49ers defense to great heights.
But not only did Ryans maintain the high-level of the defense -- he improved it. The 49ers would not have found themselves having incredible playoff runs the last two seasons if not for Ryans and his defense for they were the ones who carried the team more times than not. This season the 49ers allowed the fewest points in the league at 16.8 per game. There wasn't much too demanding out of the 49ers offense when the defense was stonewalling offenses like that.
Filling the vacancy left by Ryans presents an even tougher challenge for the 49ers now. As things stand, the 49ers are interested in former Broncos head coach Vic Fangio, former Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks, and former Commanders defensive backs coach Chris Harris. Quite a few options for the 49ers. They're definitely going to need it and make careful consideration of this hire.
Again, the defense has been a main factor for the success the last two seasons, so whoever they hire cannot be more than a few notches less than Ryans. This search will be one of the most pivotal offseason moves for the 49ers.
