As NFL teams with a head coaching vacancy continue talking to top assistants around the league, one defensive coordinator is generating a lot of interest this week.
San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, who is one of most coveted candidates during this year’s hiring cycle, will interview with the Broncos on Thursday, followed by the Colts, Cardinals and Texans later in the week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Ryans is expected to complete all four interviews ahead of San Francisco’s divisional-round game on Sunday, which is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET.
The Panthers may also try to interview Ryans, but the two sides have not yet been able to schedule a time to meet.
After taking over San Francisco’s defense, Ryans has guided one of the best units in the league over the past two years. In 2022, the 49ers defense allowed the fewest points and second-fewest yards in the NFL. Ryans played linebacker for Houston and Philadelphia from 2006-’15 and has been coaching for the 49ers since 2017.
If Ryans does get a head coaching job, it would be the third consecutive year that a 49ers assistant has become a head coach elsewhere, following Robert Saleh (Jets, 2021) and Mike McDaniel (Dolphins, 2022).
