The Houston Texans head into Year 3 under DeMeco Ryans with a pair of 10-win seasons and playoff victories. A former Pro Bowl linebacker turned coach, Ryans was the most sought-after candidate in the 2023 cycle, and remained a competitive standout during his tenure back in NRG Stadium.
The Texans have mostly met expectations under Ryans. When hired, Houston won 11 combined games under three coaches in three years. Including the playoff victory of the Cleveland Browns, the Texans surpassed that mark in Ryans’ first year.
The third-year coach is also the fastest coach in franchise history to 20 wins. He’s one of three coaches to collect multiple double-digit win campaigns during their tenure as the leader of the clubhouse.
But is Ryans the front-runner to win the NFL’s highest individual honor entering 2025? Nope. In fact, he’s not even top 10 despite being top 10 in victories since taking over for Lovie Smith.
Chicago’s Ben Johnson is currently the favorite (+700) to win Coach of the Year entering his first season as a head coach, according to Draft Kings. New England’s Mike Vrabel (+850) is behind him following his one-year haitus from coaching.
Several other prominent names, including Jacksonville’s Liam Coen (+1200), Las Vegas’ Pete Carroll (+1200), New Orleans’ Kellen Moore (+1200) and Denver’s Sean Payton (+1200) were all in consideration, yet only two have previously been head coaches before.
Given that most of the names are coaches with teams amid a rebuild, it makes sense on paper. The Texans have the potential to be one of the biggest standouts in the AFC this season and it might come easier than most expect. Houston has the 25th-ranked schedule in the league, which includes stints against the NFC West and AFC West, as well as facing their AFC South rivals twice.
But the talent is also there. If Ryans and his coaching staff can maximize this roster — and be competitive within the division — there’s a belief the Texans could contend for the No. 1 seed in the conference this fall.