DeMeco Ryans Named AP NFL Coach of the Year Finalist

After an incredible turnaround in 2023, rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans has been named a finalist for the NFL's Coach of the Year

Matt Galatzan | Jan 25, 2024

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Houston Texans

The Houston Texans had one of the biggest turnarounds in the modern era of the NFL this season, going from 3-13-1 in 2022 under Lovie Smith to 10-7, becoming AFC South Division champions and Wild Card playoff round winners along the way.

And as a result, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans is beginning to earn some recognition.

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans on the field before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports — Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans on the field before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at NRG Stadium / Mandatory Credit Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

On Thursday, Ryans was named a finalist for the AP NFL Coach of the Year, joining Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions, John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens, Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers, and Cleveland Browns coach, Kevin Stefanski.

Finalists were determined through The AP's revamped voting system, which asks voters to rank their top five picks for MVP and top three for other awards. The top five move on to the final round, where the winners will be announced at the 13th annual NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 8, 2024.

Ryans was also joined on the AP finalist list by his star rookie duo of quarterback C.J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson Jr., both of whom are finalists for the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year Awards, respectively. Both are also considered favorites to take home their respective awards.

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Ryans is no stranger to the NFL Coach of the Year honors either.

Last season as the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, Ryans was named the NFL Assistant Coach of the Year after fielding one of the league's best defenses and helping his team reach Super Bowl LVII.

Ryans then parlayed that into the head coaching job in Houston, where the Texans are now reaping the benefits from one of the NFL's brightest young coaching stars.

Published Jan 25, 2024

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan the Editor-In-Chief of TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com