Tag: Texans coach

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans reveals most important trait a QB can have

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans shared what trait he considers the most important for a quarterback to have.

So much of quarterback evaluation involves vital statistics and aspects of throwing the football.

For Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, his evaluation of a signal caller goes well beyond how well a quarterback can complete a pass.

“For a quarterback, I think the most important attribute I look for, it’s that how is his leadership style,” Ryans told reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix March 27. “How are those other 10 guys looking? Can they look at you in a huddle and know, we can count on this guy to make a play, we believe in you?

“Then you have to look across the ball, and it’s those other 11 guys, those defensive guys, can they look to that guy, and can they count on him. Is that quarterback a guy who can galvanize a locker room and rally the troops and get the guys to believe in him? That’s the trait.”

The reality is Houston has had trouble finding such a player to exude such leadership and confidence among teammates since the 2020 season. A combination of journeyman signal callers and young passers thrust prematurely into the heat of the game have left such a void in the Texans offense.

Even if a quarterback led with such intentions to demonstrate leadership, Ryans knows the possession of such a trait is uncommon.

Said Ryans: “It’s easier said than done because only so few guys can do that, and it’s special guys, and that’s a special position. When you can find a guy that his teammates can rally behind him, teammates believe in him, that’s when you know you have a guy.”

The Texans may look to their No. 2 overall pick to find such a quarterback as Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Alabama’s Bryce Young are the top-2 field generals in the 2023 draft class.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1416]

How much has DeMeco Ryans’ arrival impacted the Texans’ draft board?

With the Houston Texans hiring DeMeco Ryans in early February, how much has the draft board changed with the new coach’s arrival?

James Liipfert takes his orders from Nick Caserio.

The Houston Texans assistant director of player personnel and college scouting director works closely with the general manager to ensure they are targeting just the right type of players needed in the NFL draft that can meet the coaching staff’s expectations.

For Liipfert, it is the third straight season where he will be working with a different coaching staff, but so far his job has been to let Caserio be the emissary.

“I’d say Nick does a phenomenal job really being a liaison between the scouting department as a whole and the coaching staff as a whole,” Liipfert said. “Nick, it’s just very natural for him to talk to both those languages. Nick’s ability to say, ‘I’ve been having good conversations with all the coaches. Here’s how we’re adjusting looking at different positions. Here’s how we’re maybe going to look at the receiver position, the running back position. Here are some differences to how we’ve looked at it in the past.’ He’s done a really great job. There are some similarities defensively, but there’s also some differences.”

New coach DeMeco Ryans was hired as coach Jan. 31. Although it seems late in the draft process, there was still time to coordinate with the new staff.

“They got here in end of January, early February,” said Liipfert. “We have plenty of time. It’s not some massive overall where you’re scrapping the whole draft board and you’re starting over. I would say maybe you’re adjusting 15-20% of it. I’d say, 80-85% of it, good football players are good football players regardless of the scheme. Whether you’re playing for DeMeco or whoever, not a lot is going to change.”

According to Liipfert, the only area where Ryans’ new staff may do things differently compared to other staffs is how they assess “mid-round type of guys.”

Said Liipfert: “You got to get on the same page. We give them a list of guys and they go through it. You give them 10 guys and they might say ‘I’m not really feeling these two.’ Maybe we have this guy as a mid-round guy and that guy probably gets bumped down because quite honestly he’s not going to be a good fit. Let’s maybe bump him down to later in the draft. Someone else will take him and we’ll keep it moving.”

The draft is April 27-29 in Kansas City, Missouri.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=601916344]

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans still deciding who calls defensive plays

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans has yet to decide who will be the defensive play-caller for the 2023 season.

INDIANAPOLIS ⁠— The Houston Texans finalized their coaching staff on Feb. 24, but they have yet to determine one last responsibility.

According to coach DeMeco Ryans, who met with reporters at the NFL combine, the club is still working through who will be the new defensive play-caller.

“We’re still going through that process right now,” said Ryans. “Haven’t decided that just yet.”

Ryans was the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers for the past two seasons. Having Ryans carry over that responsibility to his new job would not be unlikely.

However, Ryans endorsed new defensive coordinator Matt Burke’s ability to call plays.

“Matt is very capable of calling defenses,” Ryans said. “He’s done it before. He’s knowledgeable of our scheme and how we want to play, so, I’m very confident in Matt calling the plays as well.”

Burke was the “game management coach” for the 2021 New York Jets, working under coach Robert Saleh, who was previously the 49ers’ defensive coordinator from 2017-20 before Ryans took over the role.

Ryans likes the energy and knowledge that Burke will bring as the leader of the defense.

Said Ryans: “Another guy who is a passionate coach and a really great teacher, energetic, a very knowledgeable coach. I’m excited what he can do, what he can bring to our team. I think the guys are going to love him.”

The Texans have been running the Tampa 2 scheme with a 4-3 front for the past two seasons under Lovie Smith, who deployed it as defensive coordinator in 2021 and kept it as coach in 2022. Ryans’ scheme deploys a similar 4-3 front.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=601916344]

Houston Texans 2023 coaching staff: Meet DeMeco Ryans’ crew

The Houston Texans announced their 2023 coaching staff, the first for DeMeco Ryans.

The Houston Texans announced their new coaching staff.

DeMeco Ryans stated in his introductory presser that he wanted a staff that reflected diversity because players process information differently. Having a multitude of experiences and approaches on the staff can allow players an opportunity to understand the objectives without a monolithic approach.

There were some holdovers from the Lovie Smith era, which reflected a commitment to merit-based performance as well. However, most of the hires were from the San Francisco 49ers or had such Kyle Shanahan connections.

Houston hopes to rise from the bottom of the AFC South in 2023. If they are to do so, it will be with this coaching staff.

Texans in discussions with former Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury for offensive coordinator

The Houston Texans are in talks with former Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury for their offensive coordinator position.

The Houston Texans may not be done picking through the remnants of the Arizona Cardinals’ coaching staff to fill coordinator roles.

According to Dan Graziano from ESPN, the Texans are in discussions with former Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury for a job on new coach DeMeco Ryans’ staff. Kingsbury, who is in Houston for the talks, would take the role of offensive coordinator.

Kingsbury’s only NFL experience was as the Cardinals coach from 2019-22. Arizona went 28-37-1 in his four seasons with the NFC West club and reached the playoffs once in the 2021 NFC wild-card.

The former New Braunfels High School and Texas Tech product was with the Houston Cougars in a variety of offensive roles from 2008-11. In 2012, Kingsbury became the offensive coordinator under Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M. From 2013-18, Kingsbury was the head football coach at his alma mater.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 tag=1446]

Don’t expect J.J. Watt to coach for the Texans

Former Houston Texans DE J.J. Watt says that he has no desire for coaching, even as his former teammate, DeMeco Ryans, leads their old team.

J.J. Watt may have been a leader inside the locker room, but don’t look for the former three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year to lead from the sidelines.

The Houston Texans’ face of the franchise from 2011-20 joined “Pardon My Take” on Wednesday to talk about his future in the NFL as a coach, which is an especially fascinating prospect given Watt’s former teammate, DeMeco Ryans, is leading the Texans as its sixth full-time coach in club history.

Watt indicated that if Ryans asked him to say anything to the current players, he would be much obliged. As far as actual coaching goes, it would be outside of his interests.

“I’ll pop in and talk to the boys, and I’ll watch practice, and I’ll talk to them, but, no, I have no interest in the hours and the time commitment and going to the combine and going to the Senior Bowl and doing all these things,” Watt said via Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle. “I do not have interest in that.”

The Texans had one of their legends on the coaching staff in some capacity in 2019 with Andre Johnson. The former receiver and inaugural Texans Ring of Honor inductee was in unique role where he was on the coaching staff, an adviser to the general manager, and also worked in the scouting department. Johnson left the team in that official capacity in 2020.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1362]

Report: Texans hire former 49ers chief of staff Nick Kray

The Houston Texans have hired former San Francisco 49ers chief of staff Nick Kray for the same job under coach DeMeco Ryans.

The Houston Texans have added a former San Francisco 49ers staffer as coach DeMeco Ryans assembles his new crew.

According to Aaron Wilson from KPRC-TV, the Texans have hired former 49ers chief of staff Nick Kray, who previously was an administrative assistant to Shanahan.

Kray’s new role for the Texans will be chief of staff under Ryans. It is unknown whether he will continue the pregame ritual of carrying a boom box in the tunnel as he did for the 49ers.

Kray was a defensive end at Eastern Illinois, and later became the defensive ends and quality control coach from 2008-09. At Villanova from 2010-11, he was an offensive and special teams assistant. Kray was the director of football operations for Yale from 2012-13. Kray was the director of football and player development at Ball State in 2014 before taking a job as the assistant director of football operations for North Carolina State from 2015-16.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1362 tag=1446]

Andre Johnson says there is ‘no doubt’ DeMeco Ryans will turn around the Texans

Former Houston Texans legendary receiver Andre Johnson says there is “no doubt” that new coach DeMeco Ryans will turn around the team.

The Houston Texans drafted second-round linebacker DeMeco Ryans in 2006 when they needed to climb out of the pit of being an expansion team. In 2022, they brought back their former two-time Pro Bowler to lead the team out of its interminable rebuilding phase.

Andre Johnson was teammates with Ryans from 2006-11, and the inaugural Texans Ring of Honor member believes that the former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator will be able to help Houston back to the top of the AFC South during his tenure as the club’s sixth full-time coach.

“There’s no doubt in my mind he’ll turn it around,” Johnson said. “It’s not going to happen overnight, but, like I said, I have no doubt he’ll turn it around and get it headed in the right direction. People will be proud to say that they’re a Houston Texans fan.”

The Texans continue to work through the assistant coach interviews as Ryans assembles his staff.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=601916344]

Gary Kubiak believes DeMeco Ryans will do ‘tremendous job’ with the Texans

Former Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak believes new coach DeMeco Ryans will do a “tremendous job” with the Texans.

Gary Kubiak remembers when DeMeco Ryans showed up to the Houston Texans.

The AFC South franchise was struggling to come out of its expansion phase. Inaugural coach Dom Capers had four seasons with the team, but a 2-14 finish in 2005 cost him his job and kept Houston mired at the bottom of the league.

The Texans hired Kubiak, former Denver Broncos offensive coordinator, and drafted Ryans as their second-round linebacker from Alabama. Kubiak could tell immediately that there was something different about Ryans.

“He walks in the building as a high draft choice and, because we were a startup franchise, we put him on the field and he became the quarterback of our defense the minute he stepped on Kirby Drive,” Kubiak said via Aaron Wilson of KPRC-TV. “We were asking a Hell of a lot of him and everyone knew by the way he handled himself, the way he was with teammates, understanding what everybody does, you could see the effect it hand on the other people around him at a young age.”

Kubiak is not surprised that Ryans, who was hired as a defensive quality control coach in 2017, has parlayed his experience with the San Francisco 49ers under Kyle Shanahan into a coaching gig with the Texans.

“The ground DeMeco has made up in six years tells you what kind of a special person he is,” said Kubiak. “I think DeMeco is going to do a tremendous job. It’s the chance of a lifetime and now is when the work starts. The fun part is the press conference, all of that, and now there’s all these things to get done. He’ll figure all of that out. I think there’s a lot of keys to a head coaching becoming successful. The most important part is having successful people around you.”

Ryans continues to assemble his coaching staff. No decision yet has been made as to who will call defensive plays in 2023.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1416]

DeMeco Ryans says RB Dameon Pierce ‘fits the bill’ for Texans’ style of play

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says running back Dameon Pierce embodies what the team is looking for when cultivating a physical style of play.

The Houston Texans have a new coach, but his style of play may already be on the team.

Coach DeMeco Ryans spent his entire coaching career with the San Francisco 49ers from 2017-22 under Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers are known for their stingy defense and also their creative yet forceful rushing attack.

If Ryans wants to bring that style of play to the Texans, he already has a big piece in running back Dameon Pierce.

“If you want to play great offense in this league and go far in the playoffs you have to be able to run the ball and, to do that, you need a guy like Dameon who can carry the load, a guy who and plays the game with a physical mindset, finishing forward,” Ryans said via Aaron Wilson of KPRC-TV. “That’s the type of style I want to play, offensively and defensively, playing a physical brand of football and Dameon fits the bill.”

The former 2022 fourth-rounder generated 939 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns on 220 carries. Pierce even demonstrated some proficiency in the passing game as he caught 30 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown.

Pierce finished third among rookies in rushing yards, which is actually impressive considering frontrunner Kenneth Walker had 1,050 and second place Tyler Allgeier had 1,035. Both players appeared in at least 15 games compared to Pierce, whose season was finished after Week 14.

[listicle id=80735]