Report: 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans ‘top candidate’ in Texans’ coaching search

The Houston Texans may be going back to what worked for them from 2006-11.

According to Ian Rapoport from the NFL Network, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans has emerged as a “top candidate” for the Texans’ coaching job.

Chairman and CEO Cal McNair indicated this week that the Texans still had some candidates that were in the playoffs. Those candidates are Ryans and also Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.

Ryans has generated considerable interest for Houston sports fans, and he even has the endorsement of former Texans defensive end J.J. Watt.

The former Alabama product was Houston’s second-round pick in 2006 and stayed on with the team through the 2011 season. Ryans spent his final four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Kyle Shanahan, who was on the Texans’ staff in various capacities from 2006-09, gave Ryans his first coaching job with the 49ers in 2017 as a defensive quality control coach. From 2018-20, Ryans worked as inside linebackers coach, helping develop Fred Warner into an All-Pro. For the past seasons, Ryans has been San Francisco’s defensive coordinator as the position was vacated after the 2020 season when Robert Saleh took the job as the New York Jets’ coach.