The Houston Texans made it official and have made former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans their sixth full-time coach in team history.
Ryans brings instant credibility to the Texans with his past two seasons with the 49ers and their consecutive appearances in the NFC Championship Game. The former 2006 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year also brings an excitement to the fan base as they recall fondly his 86 career games with the club from 2006-11, earning two Pro Bowls in the process.
With Ryans firmly in place, here is what a possible coaching staff could look like in his inaugural season.
Coach: DeMeco Ryans
Ryans is the first former Texans player to be coach and the third in franchise history to have a defensive background.
Offensive coordinator: Bobby Slowik
Slowik was with Washington from 2011-13 when Kyle Shanahan was the offensive coordinator there, and he was with the 49ers since 2017. His last year was spent as the passing game coordinator with San Francisco.
QB coach: Rich Scangarello
Scangarello was recently the offensive coordinator for Kentucky. He was with the 49ers as their quarterbacks coach from 2017-18 and returned in 2021.
RB coach: Danny Barrett
Barrett keeps his job as the running backs coach. There is no way Shanahan is letting Bobby Turner get out of San Francisco.
WR coach: Ike Hilliard
Hilliard was the receivers coach in Washington from 2014-19 when Sean McVay was the offensive coordinator for a few of those seasons. Hilliard would be able to help implement some Shanahan concepts.
TE coach: Shane Day
Day was let go as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Los Angeles Chargers, but he has experience with the Shanahan offense from 2019-20. He was also the Miami Dolphins’ tight ends coach from 2016-18.
OL coach: John Benton
Benton was actually the Texans’ offensive line coach from 2006-13 and was let go when the Gary Kubiak era ended. Benton returns to help Ryans get things back on track.
Asst. OL coach: James Cregg
Cregg was the assistant offensive line coach with the 49ers in 2022, and follows Ryans to Houston.
Defensive coordinator: Jeff Zgonina
Zgonina is the defensive line coach for Washington, but he was a defensive tackle for Houston from 2007-09, and later was San Francisco’s defensive line coach from 2017-18. Ryans brings in Zgonina for another Texans team up.
DL coach: Darryl Tapp
Tapp is the assistant defensive line coach with the 49ers and has been since 2021. Coming to Houston gives him another chance to be with Ryans.
LB coach: Rick Minter
Minter was Ryans’ linebackers coach with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013-15.
CB coach: Dino Vasso
Vasso gets to stick around another season thanks to his stellar work with Steven Nelson, Desmond King, Tavierre Thomas, and Tremon Smith.
Secondary coach/passing game coordinator: Joe Woods
Woods held a similar role for the 49ers in 2019 when they went to the Super Bowl. Ryans brings in someone he has worked with before to get a handle on the secondary.
Special teams coordinator: Frank Ross
Another holdover from the Lovie Smith and David Culley era, Ross had the special teams playing very well in 2022, and it earns him another year with the Texans.
