DeMeco Ryans

Demeco Ryans ( dih-MEE-koh; born July 28, 1984) is an American professional football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he was a unanimous All-American. Ryans was selected by the Texans in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft, where he was recognized as the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Ryans was selected to two Pro Bowls before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012, where he spent four seasons before retiring. Ryans joined the San Francisco 49ers as a coaching assistant in 2017 and coached the inside linebackers from 2018 to 2020 before being named their defensive coordinator in 2021. The following season, he was named NFL Assistant Coach of the Year after the 49ers finished with the top-ranked defense, leading in scoring and total yards allowed. Ryans was hired as the head coach for the Texans in 2023 and took them to the playoffs in his first season in that role.