Texans coach DeMeco Ryans has nothing but love for the 49ers’ coaching staff entering San Francisco and Houston’s Week 8 matchup on Sunday afternoon at NRG Stadium.

Ryans, in his third year as Texans head coach after spending six seasons in various roles with the 49ers, shared his unrelenting gratitude for San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and linebackers coach Johnny Holland with reporters in Houston on Wednesday.

“Working with Saleh was truly a blessing, from the standpoint of a young guy like myself coming into coaching,” Ryans said. “You think you know a lot about playing ball, you think you know a lot about coaching. But working with Robert, he truly showed me what it takes to coach and the detail — the fine details [and] the small things — that it takes as a coach.

“How are you saying things to players? … How do you understand each guy in your room? … Robert Saleh taught me all of that … And I’m so blessed and thankful to have learned under him, because he’s such a meticulous, detailed person — not just in coaching, but just in life.”

Over his 10-year linebacker career, Ryans was the 2006 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time Pro Bowl selection, collecting 970 combined tackles, 10 fumble recoveries, seven interceptions and even a touchdown along the way.

The 49ers gave Ryans a shot to prove himself as a coach.

He started in the defensive quality control department in 2017; was promoted to coach inside linebackers from 2018-20; later succeeded Saleh, after his former teacher left to become head coach of the New York Jets from 2021-24, as defensive coordinator from 2021-22; and has run the show in Houston since 2023.

Ryans credited Holland, a lesser-known name compared to Shanahan and Saleh, for allowing him to improve as a teacher.

“I can’t mention [Saleh] without mentioning Johnny Holland, who allowed me to teach in a room,” Ryans said. “He gave me the leeway to lead, and he taught me and allowed me to make mistakes along the way. He allowed me to grow and develop under him. I’m thankful for both of those guys.”

Entering Week 8 of the 2025 season, Ryans prides himself on being able to convey various loads of information to a myriad of players with various learning styles.

Saleh and Holland played major roles in teaching Ryans how to do that. But where did Ryans gain the confidence to pursue being one of 32 head coaches in the NFL?

From Coach Shanahan.

“I’d be remiss not to mention Kyle Shanahan, for what he’s done for me and my career,” Ryans said. “I remember sitting down in his office one day, and he told me, ‘Dude, you can be a head coach in this league.’ I was kind of shocked by him, because no one had ever said that to me before.

“Ton of respect for Kyle and what he’s done [and] what he’s taught me throughout my career. I can’t thank him enough for that and just believing in me when nobody knew about me.”

Ryans was part of Shanahan’s first-ever staff from when he was appointed 49ers head coach in 2017 after a long journey himself. The two, along with Saleh, Holland and others, surely spent hundreds of hours mastering their crafts as teachers together.

Because of the belief and trust his old boss had in him, Ryans always will love the Shanahans.

“It shows that Kyle is such a great person,” Ryans said. “[I] love him and his wife [Mandy]; they’re great friends of ours. They do it the right way.”

Shanahan isn’t surprised to see where Ryans ended up.

While he couldn’t exactly recall the moment he told Ryans he could be a head coach in the NFL, Shanahan remembered how his former associate showed the signs that led to him taking the helm in Houston.

“I don’t remember the exact specific [story], but I always knew DeMeco was like that,” Shanahan said. “Even as a player. … But, just the way he has carried himself his whole career … and how consistent he is as a human. Always knew how good of a coach he’d be if he wanted to do it.

“I probably was saying that strong to [Ryans] because I didn’t want him to leave right away and tell him like, ‘Dude, don’t just go jump at a job. Like, you’re going to be a head coach. Make sure you get the right one and stuff because you don’t have to just take one and take one.’ That was probably my biggest advice to him.”

In 2006, Shanahan coached wide receivers, ironically with the Texans, and was part of the staff that selected Ryans with the No. 33 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.

The two football lifers have known each other for a long time. And from the Bay to the Lone Star State, Ryans remembers his time in San Francisco fondly.

However, the love might temporarily dissipate not on Sunday. Ryans’ 2-5 Texans desperately need a win, as do Shanahan’s banged-up, 5-2 49ers.

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