How 49ers DC Robert Saleh Knew DeMeco Ryans Would Excel as a Coach

The buildup against the Houston Texans has been nothing but love and respect from the San Francisco 49ers.

That is because of DeMeco Ryans. He got his coaching start with the 49ers under Kyle Shanahan and worked directly with Robert Saleh, first as a quality coach, then as linebackers coach.

When Saleh left to become the head coach of the New York Jets in 2021, the responsibility of defensive coordinator fell upon Ryans, who excelled immediately.

That wasn’t surprising to see at all for Saleh. He knew early on that Ryans would excel as a defensive coordinator, then as a head coach.

Robert Saleh heaps praise upon DeMeco Ryans

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans talks to media members after practice at training camp at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Thursday, August 21, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“It was a no brainer for Kyle. That was the setup from day one. Like I said, DeMeco, he ascended so fast. Obviously, he played the game, but to go from QC to linebackers coach to coordinator, he was ready to be a coordinator after his first year of being a linebacker's coach. Like I said, he's got a fantastic mind. He's a quick learner and he's got the confidence to be able to adjust. He did. He made it his own in his years as a coordinator.

“So, he took what he learned, he made it his own and they played fantastic football, earned a spot, rebuilt it in Houston and they're doing it again. So, he has proven that he understood the blueprint. It wasn't like he just took over a car and he started driving it around. He made that thing better and he went and built a new one again. But yeah, he's a fantastic coach. Everyone in this building at least knew that it was going to be good when he took over.”

Saleh’s comments on Ryans indicate that he’s extremely proud and happy to see Ryans’ ascension as a coach. He knew it early on that Ryans could do it, and if he ever hit a wall, he knew Ryans was capable of letting others help him.

August 23, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

“What makes him special to me is that he has an incredible amount of humility in terms of he knows he doesn't have the answers, he's willing to ask the right questions and he is incredibly smart and will learn. He can evolve, he can adapt, he's a great communicator and people gravitate towards him. He's an elite human, elite father, elite man. He's all of it. We knew that from when we drafted him and obviously he stayed true to himself as he's gotten bigger and bigger.”

It’s easy to see why this week has been a ton of love and respect for the 49ers. Facing Ryans takes them down memory lane from the beginning to appreciate how far he’s come.

Thankfully for the 49ers, Saleh didn’t take Ryans with him to New York and retained Ryans as the defensive coordinator.

“Kyle would've killed me.”

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Robert Saleh heaps praise upon DeMeco Ryans

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