The Good

DeMeco Ryans was one of the hottest head coaching candidates after last season. The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the best defensive units over the last 2 years under Ryans. He will now be tasked with rebuilding the Texans from the ground up and build a winning culture. While the Texans defense had its struggles in 2022 it has many young talented pieces to build on. Will Anderson will be an instant difference maker and is the favorite to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. On the back end, Safety Jalen Pitre had an outstanding rookie season in which he hauled in 5 interceptions. These two players along with Ryans have me excited for the Texans defense going forward

The Bad

With the 2nd pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Texans selected Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud. I was and still am a fan of this pick. Stroud showed promise in the college football semi-final matchup with Georgia. The Bulldogs are full of studs on defense and Stroud still put up 348 passing yards and 4 touchdowns. He also showcased his running ability several times during the game. I was hoping the Texans would surround Stroud with more offensive weapons but that’s not the case.

The Texans were able to bring in tight end Dalton Schultz from the Cowboys but lack explosive wide receivers. Nico Collins showed some promise last season but he is more of a number 3 wide receiver. They also brought in Robert Woods this offseason but it seems Woods has lost a step since his time in Los Angeles. There is one bright spot for the Texans and that’s rookie Tank Dell. If Dell can develop and learn the offense quickly he has the potential to make big plays.

The Prediction

It’s important for Houston Texans fans to be patient as the team goes through this rebuild. Houston has young bright stars on both sides of the ball and a head coach that will challenge them. This year will be a struggle but going forward the Texans will only get better.

2023 Record: 5-12 (4th in the Division)

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Vance Joseph

Recent history has shown that the Cardinals are a franchise that likes to promote from within the organization. Given this tendency, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph seems like a candidate for consideration as the next head coach. That being said, he may not be the right pick for this particular situation. If the team is looking to move beyond the sick taste that is currently in its mouth, internal promotion isn’t likely to be the way to get there.

Joseph had one other opportunity as a head coach in the NFL for the Denver Broncos in 2017 and 2018, in which he finished with a coaching record of 11-21. That doesn’t inspire a lot of hope for his candidacy this time around, despite the Cardinals’ tendency for internal promotions. If the team is serious about getting back to the status of a playoff contender in the NFC, it’s going to require looking elsewhere.

DeMeco Ryans

DeMeco Ryans’s name has been floating around the rumor mill economy as a possible NFL head coach next season. At the moment, the defensive coordinator of arguably the best defense in the league right now is a hot commodity. The Cardinals could take benefit from taking a look at him as their next coach.

But will Ryans want the challenge of going from an NFC frontrunner to a struggling franchise? Or might he look at another team in need of a head coach, like the Broncos or Houston Texans, the latter of which he has an established history with. Perhaps the fate of the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs will help to sort out these questions.

Sean Payton

The most obvious choice for the Cardinals is to bring in Sean Payton. A return to an NFL head coaching position for Payton seems like a foregone conclusion at this point, with the Cardinals and Broncos both showing interest in him. His .631 career winning percentage is a huge reason why. To turn things around in Glendale, it’s got to be the hiring of this Super Bowl winning coach that does it.

There is enough talent on this Cardinals team even with the retirement of J.J. Watt and the likely leaving of DeAndre Hopkins to be players in the NFC West. Payton can bring to this organization something they’ve been lacking since the departure of Bruce Arians: a true leader. What’s more, Kyler Murray deserves to have a coach who fully knows how to nurture his talents and lead him into the maturity necessary to be one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks. The Cardinals’ intentions as a franchise will be revealed in this choice. It needs to be Sean Payton.

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By: Menachem Ickovitz

As the old adage goes, “Defense wins Championships.” With that being said, many teams will be looking for new head coaches this off-season and there are some very worthy candidates who are currently defensive coordinators.

Listed below are three defensive coordinators you should know about if your team is looking for a new head coach. Additionally, there will be a bonus defensive coach mentioned below, however, he is not the defensive coordinator for his team, therefore he goes in the “bonus” section.

Jonathan Gannon, Philadelphia Eagles

Jonathan Gannon might be young, but he has plenty of NFL coaching experience. Gannon is highly respected having coached under numerous head coaches and was one of the many options teams were looking at last off-season. Additionally, he has also served as a scout for the St. Louis Rams from 2009 ”“ 2011, so he has an understanding of all aspects of team building.

An interesting possibility consists of a team looking for a new general manager and head coach. Gannon would be a great fit with Ed Dodds, who is currently the assistant GM with the Indianapolis Colts. Gannon was with the Colts from 2018 ”“ 2020.

Leslie Frazier, Buffalo Bills

Leslie Frazier has the advantage of having been a head coach before so he understands everything that is involved. He took over for Brad Childress during the 2010 season with the Minnesota Vikings. While his 21 ”“ 32 ”“ 1 head coaching record is not good, he did lead the Vikings to the playoffs in 2012.

Frazier is currently the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills. The Bills’ defense is ranked first in points differential and yards differential. Additionally, they rank third in interceptions.

Frazier is the type of coach who will instill discipline and if given the opportunity to coach a team with a good quarterback, something he did not have in Minnesota, he can lead a team to the playoffs.

An interesting team to keep an eye out for is the Chicago Bears. Frazier played for the Bears from 1981 ”“ 1985. Additionally, teams often look for the opposite of what they just had as a head coach. The Bears currently have Matt Nagy, an offensive coach so they might look to replace him with a defensive coach and Frazier would be a good fit.

DeMeco Ryans, San Francisco 49ers

DeMeco Ryans is a rising star in the coaching ranks.He’s been with the San Francisco 49ers since 2017 and was named defensive coordinator in 2021 after former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was named head coach of the New York Jets.

As a player, Ryans played for the Houston Texans and the Philadelphia Eagles. In his 10 year career he compiled 939 tackles, 13.5 sacks and 41 passes defended. He was considered a smart player and good teammate, two qualities that have helped him in his young coaching career.

If he doesn’t get a job this off-season, be prepared to hear his name a lot next off-season.

Bonus Coach: Jerod Mayo, Inside Linebackers Coach, New England Patriots

The defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots is head coach Bill Belichick, however, Jerod Mayo is an intriguing head coaching candidate. Mayo has been the inside linebackers coach with New England since 2019.

Prior to coaching in New England he played for the Patriots from 2008 ”“ 2015. He had an excellent reputation for film study and working hard to be a better player. He may not get the chance to be a head coach this upcoming cycle, but he should be in consideration.

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By Rod Villagomez

Former San Francisco defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was poached by the Jets to be their next head coach. That move left a giant void in the 49ers coaching staff. Lucky for organization, there was someone qualified and groomed to take the job. Within days, John Lynch announced Saleh’s successor would be their linebackers coach, DeMeco Ryans. The promotion from within was met with praise from his current players. He was also praised by players he has dealt with in the past including J.J. Watt.

All of the excitement notwithstanding, this is the young coaches’ first assignment coordinating an entire defense alone. To that end, little is truly known about what his overall plans are, or what type of scheme he plans to implement. That said, there are at least a few things we can expect in year one of the DeMeco Ryans era of the 49ers defense.

He’ll Still Have One Of The Top Defenses In The League

There is something to be said about walking into a house that already has most of what you want. Ryans will do exactly this. He will step in to lead a defense that was far and away the saving grace of San Francisco’s 2020 season. They were led by Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, both of which were part of the linebacking corps he coached. Both of which enjoyed outstanding years. 

As a unit under Saleh, the 49ers ranked safely inside the top-10 in total yards allowed per game, and both rushing and passing yards allowed per game. As impressive as that is, Ryans will get Nick Bosa back for the 2021 season. Bosa’s absence on the line was noticeable. That said, the fact that the defense was able to hold its own was impressive. His return next season is like gaining a first round pick to an already strong team.

Not Much Should Change In Overall Scheme

This point draws from the old saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Ryans is not an outsider to the team or the defensive scheme he’s inheriting. It’s certain that he won’t conduct business exactly the way his predecessor had before him. Even still, he witnessed first hand the effectiveness of Saleh’s approach. He would be wise to allow a majority of the philosophy to stay in place at least for his first season at the helm. 

That’s not to say that he shouldn’t attempt to put his own stamp on his unit. It would just be better overall to slowly implement any changes he sees necessary rather than to make wholesale changes right away. You could also figure that one of the reasons San Francisco decided to promote Ryans was his familiarity with the defense the 49ers want to continue using in the 2021 season. 

He Comes With Great Acclaim

A favorite designation when it comes to coaches is that they are a, “player’s coach.” This of course implies that he understands and relates with his/her players. Ryans fall firmly into this camp. As a former player himself, he knows exactly what his players are going through and speaks from his own experience. High praise has been showered onto him by not only Warner, but also former teammate J.J. Watt. They both played a part in a Texans team that won the AFC South and came within a game of the Super Bowl. 

Leadership shared in their enthusiasm. This was evident by their naming him as the new defensive coordinator so quickly after the position was vacated. Not to mention the fact that there seemed to be no one else in the running for the job. It appeared to be his and his alone from the outset.

There is little doubt there will be an impact on the San Francisco defense without Robert Saleh. What the 49ers are hoping to accomplish with their new coordinator is a continuation of a formidable defense. It may take some time for Ryans to get his bearings in his new role. That said, he’s proven he has the potential for this increased responsibility and to build on the success of Saleh into the future.    

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