Why Texans Should Hire 49ers' DeMeco Ryans as HC amid Latest NFL Coaching Rumors

DeMeco Ryans was a Pro Bowl linebacker who played 10 seasons in the NFL, including his first six with the Houston Texans. Now, he's one of the hottest head-coaching candidates in the league this offseason.

The 38-year-old, who has spent the past two seasons as the San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator, has reportedly been interviewing with several teams for their openings at head coach. He's never previously worked in that role, as his first six years as a coach have all been as a defensive assistant in San Francisco.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Ryans interviewed with the Denver Broncos on Thursday and is scheduled to meet with the Texans on Friday. He's also expected to interview with both the Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts this week, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

So it's a busy stretch for Ryans, who is helping the 49ers prepare for their divisional-round matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

There's a good chance Ryans won't be back in San Francisco for the 2023 season. The 49ers' defense has been dominant throughout the 2022 campaign, which has put Ryans at the forefront of coaching searches.

Of all the teams that are targeting Ryans, there's one that can't allow him to get away: the Texans. After all, how appropriate would it be for him to come back to where his NFL playing career began to become a head coach for the first time?

Ryans, who was picked by Houston in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft, could be the right person to get his former franchise back on track. The Texans have lacked stability at the top of their coaching staff, as they've had four different head coaches over the past three seasons (Bill O'Brien and Romeo Crennel in 2020, David Culley in 2021, and Lovie Smith in 2022).

A fresh voice is what Houston needs, and Ryans seems like the perfect one to bring in. Plus, the fanbase should greatly approve of the hire, considering how well Ryans played throughout his time with the Texans from 2006-11.

It's not a given that Ryans is even the front-runner to become Houston's new head coach. The Texans have been interviewing a plethora of candidates, including former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach/tight ends coach Thomas Brown earlier this week.

Those are all great candidates, several of whom could end up with head-coaching jobs in this cycle. But none make as much sense for Houston as Ryans, who would have the opportunity to build another elite defense, much like he has done in San Francisco.

The Texans have some talented young defensive players already on their roster, such as linebacker Christian Harris and safety Jalen Pitre. They're likely to add more during the 2023 NFL draft and potentially in free agency as well.

Ryans would aid in the development of those young players and be a strong leader for the locker room. That's what he was during the latter stages of his playing career, so it makes sense he'd be that way as a head coach, too.

So while Houston should do its due diligence in talking to candidates and considering all of its options, it's clear which one it should choose. It's time for Ryans to come back to the Texans and help a team that was successful for most of the 2010s return to that level.