Can Houston Texans' DeMeco Ryans Win the Coach of the Year Award?

Houston Texans first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans has done an incredible job through the first portion of the season. Can he do enough to win Coach of the Year honors?

The Houston Texans are an even 3-3 as they hit the bye week, exceeding expectations and propelling themselves into the spotlight as the NFL’s feel-good story on this trip around the sun.

A lot has been made of Houston’s success, particularly about rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. The No. 2 pick from April’s draft has broken the rookie record for most passes without an interception to start his career and has otherwise improved week-over-week. It feels like he simply does not make the same mistake twice.

The Texans faithful feel they have their franchise quarterback, and most feel equally enamored with first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans. A team making itself comfortable at the bottom of the AFC South has been revitalized by Ryans and the culture he’s instilled.

Ryans smiles after a big play in front of the Houston crowd / © Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Coach speak doesn’t captivate fans very often, but the city has rallied around its team accelerating through a rebuild. His principles of consistent improvement and a winning mindset were vindicated by early-season success, and it has become abundantly clear his players love playing for him.

Has it been enough to make him the Coach of the Year?

Currently, DraftKings has Ryans as the fourth-most likely to win the award. He trails Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell (+250), Miami Dolphins wonderkid Mike McDaniel (+275), and San Francisco 49ers mastermind Kyle Shanahan (+850). Ryans’ +900 odds certainly don’t take him out of the running.

Ryans’ case is simple. Houston was projected to be one of the worst few teams in football. Instead, they are competitive week in and week out and are very much in the thick of the AFC playoff picture.

Shanahan and McDaniel will receive votes for their offensive fireworks and (likely) dominant records. Campbell’s Lions have taken the next step so many had hoped for. All three are calling the shots for teams with substantially more talent than the Texans.

However, NFL voters are fairly predictable. The team that exceeded their preseason win totals the most will have a distinct advantage. For Ryans’ sake, Houston would likely need 11 wins to lock it in, given the preseason mark of 6.5.

Yet, 10 wins and a playoff appearance? He would probably have my vote.

Unsurprisingly, it’s too early to tell who is going to separate themselves from the pack and bring home the hardware, but Houston has as good of a chance as anyone, especially with the new face under center.

The mere presence of Ryans in the Coach of the Year conversation means things are going well, and regardless of whether he wins it, Texans fans can feel confident they have the right man for the job.