DeMeco Ryans showed gratitude for the 49ers’ organization at 2023 NFL Combine
Mar 2, 2023, 4:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 29: San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans looks on during the Championship game between the San Fransisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles on January 29, 2023. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans hasn’t stopped showing his appreciation for his former employers, going out his way to thank the San Francisco 49ers for giving him an opportunity.
“Couldn’t have asked for a better start on the coaching journey,” Ryans said while at the 2023 NFL Combine, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “[49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan] has been outstanding to my development as a coach. He gave me an opportunity as a QC [quality control] to come in and truly learn what coaching is all about.
Ryans joined the 49ers’ coaching staff in 2017 as a quality control coach, coming off a lengthy career as a prominent linebacker in the NFL. Working his way through the ranks, DeMeco became a locker-room favorite in quick succession. Getting promoted to defensive coordinator after the departure of Robert Saleh in 2021, his instincts and knowledge of the game showed in his players. But while the talent was there, the coaching experience wasn’t, thanking Kyle for showing him the ropes the last few years.
#Texans HC Demeco Ryans gave high praise for the lessons he learned from Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch during his time with the #49ers 🫡
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) March 1, 2023
🎥: @HoustonTexans pic.twitter.com/P5SveKQCwh
“I thought I knew. I thought I could come in and just start coaching right off the bat,” Ryans stated. “I am very thankful for Kyle teaching me that you can’t miss steps. You have to go through every step if you want to be a great coach. Going through that QC phase, linebacker coach, hitting every step, that was the most important thing I could have done to allow me to be in the position I am right now.”
DeMeco Ryans has learned a lot since he hung up the cleats, the biggest being collaboration. Without that, the team can’t function. And neither can the coaching staff, implementing a collective mindset with his teaching.
“I learned from the relationship between [49ers general manager John Lynch] and Kyle to do things and be successful in this league and it’s all about collaboration, Ryans said. “It’s about putting egos to the side, it’s about truly working together.”
What does DeMeco Ryans bring to the #Texans? Here’s what #49ers GM Jon Lynch said of the new head coach pic.twitter.com/DgXlkjpqcV
— Cole Thompson (@MrColeThompson) February 28, 2023
Poaching a handful of coaches from San Francisco this offseason, Ryans looks to build his own version of success with the Texans. Who knows what the future holds, but one thing is for sure: There’s no parting tension between the 49ers & their former coach.
“Definitely thankful for Kyle, thankful for John, and the 49ers for the opportunities that they provided me,” Ryans acknowledged. “Being able to move up in a first-class organization and everything that they’ve done, I wish those guys nothing but the best.”
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