PFF snubs Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans in top 10 coaches for 2025
Going into Year 3, Ryans has Houston buzzing. A top-five defense returns to NRG Stadium with key players like Will Anderson Jr., Azeez Al-Shaair, Derek Stingley, Danielle Hunter, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Jalen Pitre headlining the unit. Offensively, C.J. Stroud took a step back last fall, but the expectations are high with the arrival of new offensive coordinator Nick Caley.
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But with 20 regular-season wins, two AFC South titles and a pair of playoff victories, Ryans would have to be considered a top 10 coach in the sport heading into training camp, right? Wrong. Pro Football Focus' Listed 10 games, including two-time former coach of the year Kevin Stefanski, over Ryans.
Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid tops the list while Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton appeared at No.2. In contrast, Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni lands at a surprising No. 8. Former AFC South coach and currently New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel was also left off the list, as was Green Bay Packers standout Matt LaFleur.
While it's easy to see Ryans not making the top five or even top seven, falling out of the top 10 entirely feels like a stretch. Among coaches hired in 2023, Ryans has the most wins over two years, including Payton in Denver. He's also 2-2 in playoff appearances, with both losses coming in the divisional round following double-digit victories in the wild-card round over Stefanski's Browns in 2023 and Jim Harbaugh's Chargers in 2024.
Ryans made good on his promise to right the ship and build a S.W.A.R.M. mentality for his players to follow. That's led to back-to-back division titles and a foundation to surge up the power rankings as a lockdown top 10 team.
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PFF can make whatever list it wants, but the correct list features Ryans somewhere between 8-10 to be factual entering training camp.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: PFF snubs Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans in top 10 coaches for 2025
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