DeMeco Ryans wins the NFL Coach of the Year Award…
In the aftermath of the 2023 NFL season, DeMeco Ryans, the head coach of the Houston Texans, has been honored with the prestigious NFL Coach of the Year Award by the Pro Football Writers of America. This achievement marks an impressive debut for Ryans in his inaugural season as head coach. The Houston Texans, recognizing the potential in Ryans, appointed him following a lackluster 3-13-1 performance in the 2022 season.
Having previously secured the PFWA NFL Assistant Coach of the Year Award in the preceding season, Ryans exhibited his coaching prowess by guiding the Texans to a commendable 10-7 record, a significant improvement from the team’s previous three seasons under four different coaches, during which they secured only 11 wins in total.
Notably, the Texans etched their name in NFL history by clinching a division title with a first-year head coach, a feat made even more remarkable by the presence of a rookie quarterback, C.J. Stroud, the second pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Despite the team’s achievements, their playoff journey concluded with a 34-10 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens, following an impressive 45-14 triumph over the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the AFC postseason.
“I’m proud of our guys for their effort, being relentless throughout this entire season,” Ryans said, “[I’m] proud of them for getting to this moment. It’s not a moral victory of just being here, and it’s not what we set out to do, but [I’m] proud of our team. This team accomplished a lot this year and is looking forward to the future.”
Ryans’ football journey has deep roots, starting with his high school days as an All-State linebacker at Jess Lanier High School in Bessemer in 2001. His stellar college career at Alabama included accolades such as being an unanimous All-American, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and the recipient of the Lott IMPACT Trophy in 2005.
Transitioning to the NFL, Ryans enjoyed a decade-long career as a middle linebacker, earning recognition as the PFWA NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2006 and achieving Pro Bowl selection twice during his tenure with the Texans. In a noteworthy parallel, Ryans joins the ranks of other accomplished coaches with Alabama connections, following in the footsteps of Brian Daboll, the New York Giants’ offensive coordinator in 2017, who received the PFWA NFL Coach of the Year Award for the 2022 season.
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