Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans loses Coach of the Year by 1 vote

DeMeco Ryans was one vote away from winning NFL Coach of the Year.

Ryans tied Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski with 165 points, but Stefanski took home the award after he earned one more first-place vote than Ryans.

Stefanski finished with 21 first-place votes, 18 second-place votes and six third-place votes. Ryans, meanwhile, tallied 20 first-place votes, 21 second-place votes and two third-place votes.

Here’s the full vote breakdown, via The Associated Press senior NFL writer Rob Maaddi:

AP Coach of the Year
Stefanski wins with more 1st place votes

Kevin Stefanski 21-18-6 = 165
DeMeco Ryans 20-21-2 = 165
Dan Campbell 3-3-9 = 33
Kyle Shanahan 3-3-2 = 26
John Harbaugh 2-2-10 = 26
Sean McVay 1-2-10 = 21
Mike Tomlin 0-1-2 = 5
Shane Steichen…

— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) February 9, 2024

Ryans coached well enough to be considered a finalist after just one season as the Texans head coach. He led Houston to the AFC South title and a first-round playoff victory over, coincidentally, Stefanski’s Browns.

The Texans are in good hands with Ryans, though. He helped guide both NFL Rookie of the Year winners C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. and put together a solid coaching staff that turned the team around from worst to first in the division.