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Three coaches we’d rather not see hired in the AFC West

By Matt Conner

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 27: New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton reacts during an NFL game against theMiami Dolphins at Caesars Superdome on December 27, 2021 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 27: New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton reacts during an NFL game against theMiami Dolphins at Caesars Superdome on December 27, 2021 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – DECEMBER 4: Defensive Coordinator DeMeco Ryans of the San Francisco 49ers on the field before during the game against the Miami Dolphins at Levi’s Stadium on December 4, 2022 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers defeated the Dolphins 33-17. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – DECEMBER 4: Defensive Coordinator DeMeco Ryans of the San Francisco 49ers on the field before during the game against the Miami Dolphins at Levi’s Stadium on December 4, 2022 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers defeated the Dolphins 33-17. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) /

DeMeco Ryans

To be honest, we’d love to see another defensive head coach stalking the sidelines in Denver. Just take a look at the teams advancing in the postseason over the last couple of years and you’ll see how rare it is for someone with a defensive background to keep up with the Joneses. That said, Ryans looks like the sort of candidate to become that exception.

Ryans first became a familiar name in the NFL by winning the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award back in 2005 after a strong all-around freshman campaign for the Houston Texans. From there, he would go on to enjoy a 10-year coaching career with the Texans and Philadelphia Eagles—a stretch in which he’d put up 970 total tackles and earn two Pro Bowl nods.

Always an intelligent defender, Ryans has been a remarkable quick study on the 49ers sidelines. He moved from defensive quality control coach in 2017 to linebackers coach in 2018 to Rob Saleh’s replacement after the 2020 season. These days, he’s taking head coaching interviews from multiple teams—an incredible ascent for someone who has been coaching as long as Eric Bieniemy has been offensive coordinator for the Chiefs.

Why we’d rather not see him: Anyone who has watched the 49ers defense in the last two years has seen the NFL’s most dynamic unit at work on every level. While the Niners have star power that would make any coach look good (e.g. Nick Bosa), the truth is that even late-round draftees are turning into legit impact players under Ryans’ tutelage.

If you’ve watched the likes of Deommodore Lenoir or Talanoa Hufanga, you’ve seen that mentorship in action. Look at what role players like Charles Omenihu or Samson Ebukam are doing in San Fran that they couldn’t do at previous stops in their careers.

So much about effective coaching comes down to the leader’s ability to put his players in the best possible position to succeed versus demanding the roster accede to his schematic demands. Ryans is a master at taking the talent given to him and getting the maximum return.

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