Texans Hire Ryans For Head Coach Rams

By Earl Heath

Contributing Sports Writer The Houston Texans have hired San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as their new head coach, the team announced Tuesday.

The deal is for six years, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Ryans was officially introduced as the franchise’s sixth full-time coach last week. The Texans, meanwhile, become the first team in NFL history to have hired three consecutive Black coaches.

“DeMeco is a proven coach with a track record of success who has an innate ability to lead people,” said Texans GM Nick Caserio in a statement.” We are working to build a sustainable program that has long-term success and DeMeco is the coach we feel is the best fit to help us achieve our goals. We know how important it is to get results now and we have a lot of work to do, but I’m excited to partner with DeMeco to build our football team together.” The 38- year-old led the In his first season, the 49ers allowed the third-fewest yards per game (310), and in 2022, San Francisco allowed the fewest points (16.8) and yards (300.6) per game. Ryans’ unit also tied for the second-most takeaways (30). Ryans’ defense helped lift the 49ers to a 13-4 record in the regular season before they fell to the Philadelphia Eagles 31-7 in the NFC championship game.

Contributing Sports Writer Los Angeles Rams hired Mike LaFleur as offensive coordinator LaFleur replaces Liam Coen, who departed at seasons end to return to the University of Kentucky as its offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

LaFleur is coming to L.A. after spending the previous two seasons as offensive coordinator for the New York Jets.

Prior to his time with the Jets, he spent four seasons on the 49ers coaching staff. LaFleur served as passing game specialist and wide receivers coach his first year in San Francisco (2017), then passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach his second year (2018). He then handled passing game coordinator duties exclusively the next two years (2019 and 2020) after the 49ers hired Wes Welker as their wide receivers coach in 2019. LaFleur and Rams head coach Sean McVay worked under 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan at different points in their careers.

LaFleur worked with Shanahan with the Browns in 2014 when Shanahan became Cleveland’s offensive coordinator, then followed Shanahan to Atlanta to take an offensive assistant job with the Falcons in 2015 when Sha- nahan became the Falcons offensive coordinator that same year. The Rams (5-12) recently finished the worst season in NFL history by a defending Super Bowl champion. McVay’s offense has been one of the NFL’s best and most influential during his tenure, but Los Angeles finished last in the league in total yards and 27th in scoring after losing several significant players to injury, including Matthew Stafford, Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp, No. 2 receiver Allen Robinson and most of the offensive line. It just a start of changes to help the Rams turn-it- around for 2023.