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BREAKING NEWS: Houston Texans sign 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as new head coach … as former Texans outside linebacker returns home
DeMeco Ryans return home after it was announced Tuesday that the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers would become the head coach of the Houston Texans.
Ryans returns to the team that drafted him out of the University of Alabama in 2006, where he became the franchise’s all-time leader in solo tackles.
“First I would like to thank the San Francisco 49ers, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch for six incredible seasons in which I grew as a coach and as a man,” Ryans said in a statement.
DeMeco Ryans return to Houston after being officially announced as head coach of the Texans
“I couldn’t be more proud of what we accomplished together, and I will always cherish the relationships I built there.”
“Being the head coach of the Houston Texans is my dream job and my family is thrilled to be back in H-Town.
I have been in the game of soccer my entire life and have always had a natural ability to lead others. I know what it takes to win and be successful in this league as a player and a coach.
“We are going to build a program filled with players who have a special work ethic and a relentless mentality. I understand the responsibility I have to this organization and to the fans of Houston to build a winner and I can’t wait to get to work.
Ryans returns to the team that drafted him in 2006 and became the franchise’s leading tackle.
Texans CEO Cal McNair also released a statement saying, “We are delighted to welcome the DeMeco Ryans as the new head coach of the Houston Texans.”
‘For many reasons, DeMeco is everything we look for in a leader and coach for our organization. He has a proven track record of developing high-quality players and has constantly innovated his defensive scheme over the past six seasons in San Francisco.
“We started this process with the goal of finding someone our fans and the city can be proud of and that’s what we’ve done.
“While we received a lot of incredible feedback and support for DeMeco from different people, it was our conversations with him and his vision for our football team that made him the right coach to guide us as we continue to evolve as an organization.
“Congratulations to DeMeco and his family and welcome back to H-Town.”
Following his retirement, Ryans has been in the San Francisco 49ers’ coaching tree since 2017.
As a player, Ryans played 86 games for the Texans from 2006 to 2011, finishing his time with the Texans as the team’s all-time leading tackler with 479 solo tackles.
He left the team in free agency to join the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played until he was released in February 2016.
Ryans has since been hired as the defensive quality control coach with San Francisco, rising to inside linebackers coach and then defensive coordinator.