JANUARY 29, 5:40pm: With the 49ers having been eliminated, attention will turn to Ryans’ second interview with the Texans. Rapoport confirms (via Twitter) that it is set to take place this week, and that it is likely to be followed by Houston naming him its next head coach.
JANUARY 29, 8:06am: A source tells Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports that the Texans’ job is Ryans’ top choice, which jibes with Rapoport’s earlier report. Sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that Ryans is now the favorite for the post.
JANUARY 27: DeMeco Ryans could soon find himself in a position in which multiple head coaching offers come his way. Shortly after being tabbed as a Broncos frontrunner, the 49ers’ defensive coordinator remains squarely on the Texans’ radar.
The Texans have their former linebacker on their second-interview docket, and Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com note (via Twitter) the team has identified him as a top candidate for the job. Mutual interest exists here, according to Pelissero and Rapoport, who add a second Ryans-Texans meeting is expected to take place in the days after the NFC championship game. The Texans have already interviewed Ejiro Evero and Mike Kafka twice, but it does not look like the team will make a hire until next week.
Although early rumblings of Ryans hesitancy about the Texans job emerged, that seems well in the past. The second-year San Francisco DC met with his initial NFL organization last week. Ryans, who has been on the HC radar for months, was set to go through four HC interviews in a four-day span. But the standout defensive play-caller cancelled his Cardinals and Colts meetings, which were set to take place just hours before the 49ers’ divisional-round matchup with the Cowboys. Despite narrowing his options, Ryans still looks likely to land a job in this year’s cycle.
This could certainly complicate matters for the Broncos, who have seen some twists in their coaching search. Jim Harbaugh was the first coach to interview with the team; he decided once again to stay at Michigan. Dan Quinn, who interviewed for Denver’s HC job last year and this year, resided as a live option for the AFC West franchise. But the Dallas DC informed interested teams he was staying with the Cowboys. The Broncos’ run at Sean Payton has also encountered some turbulence. The team was initially linked to Frank Reich but never brought the new Panthers HC in for an interview.
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