Report: DeMeco Ryans a 'Top Choice' HC Target for Broncos
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On Thursday, the first domino fell in this year's NFL head-coach hiring cycle as the Carolina Panthers hired Frank Reich. Shortly after the Reich news broke, it was reported that Dan Quinn will return to the Dallas Cowboys as defensive coordinator.
Reich was not a Denver Broncos' head-coaching target. Quinn was, however, and with the fires completely cooled on the Sean Payton-to-Denver hype train, Broncos Country is left to wonder who will ultimately be hired to captain the franchise.
Enter DeMeco Ryans, the decorated defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. There are other potential targets for the Broncos, including former Stanford head coach David Shaw, but according to 9NEWS' Mike Klis, Denver CEO Greg Penner, and his hiring committee, have regrouped for a final push.
Klis has singled out Ryans as "a top choice" for the vacancy in Denver.
If Penner wants to interview Ryans for a second time, he will have to wait until early next week. Ryans’ 49ers are playing Sunday against the Eagles in Philadelphia in the NFC Championship Game.
At 38 years old, Ryans is only seven years removed from suiting up as an NFL linebacker. A 2006 second-round draft choice of the Houston Texans, Ryans went on to forge an impressive NFL career, earning multiple Pro Bowl nods and a first-team All-Pro selection.
Ryans coordinated the Niners' defense to impressive heights this past season. With all the quarterback instability in San Francisco, without Ryans' ferocious defense, the Niners not only fail to advance to the NFC title game, but probably don't make the playoffs.
The Texans "covet" Ryans as head coach, and it makes perfect sense. But it's worth remembering that Ryans once sued Houston's ownership over a 2014 Achilles injury he suffered as a player.
If Ryans harbors any bad blood, though, he probably wouldn't have taken the interview in Houston. He only opted to interview with Denver and Houston, canceling two other requests for palaver.
A return to Houston as head coach would be a great story, but that ownership group can't roll out the Brinks truck as the Broncos can. If, indeed, Ryans is "a top choice" and, ostensibly, the preferred option of the Walton/Penner ownership group.
The Broncos will have to wait until next week to hold a second interview with Ryans, and if the Niners are victorious in the NFC Championship game on Sunday, Denver might have to wait until the third week of February to christen a new head coach officially. Not ideal, but a small price to pay if Ryans is your guy.
Or, the Broncos could make exceptions and end up hiring Los Angeles Rams DC Raheem Morris, with whom the Walton/Penner group was reportedly impressed during his interview, or the aforementioned Shaw, Jim Caldwell, or Ejiro Evero.
Ryans would be a first-time head coach, whereas Morris and Caldwell have held that job in the NFL before. Shaw has head-coaching experience at the NCAA level, while Evero would also be a first-timer. Payton is the only name in contention who's won a Super Bowl, but all signs point to him returning to FOX Sports.
Stay tuned.
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