HOUSTON, WE HAVE A LEADER: How DeMeco Ryans Quietly Transformed the Texans from League Afterthought to Legitimate Contender—22 Wins, Playoff Runs, and Still No Coach of the Year Buzz? Here’s Why That Might Change in 2025

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A LEADER: How DeMeco Ryans Quietly Transformed the Texans from League Afterthought to Legitimate Contender—22 Wins, Playoff Runs, and Still No Coach of the Year Buzz? Here’s Why That Might Change in 2025

 

 

 

HOUSTON, TX (July 12, 2025) — In a league dominated by flashy headlines, superstar egos, and volatile narratives, one man in Houston is doing something quietly historic. DeMeco Ryans, the former NFL linebacker turned head coach, has orchestrated a remarkable transformation of the Houston Texans franchise—22 wins in just two seasons, back-to-back playoff appearances, and an unmistakable culture shift that has fans, analysts, and even skeptics wondering: Why isn’t this guy getting top-10 Coach of the Year buzz?

 

If you ask Ryans, he wouldn’t care much for the awards. “I’m not here to chase headlines,” he told reporters during OTAs in June. “I’m here to build something that lasts.”

 

And build he has.

 

 

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📉 FROM LAUGHINGSTOCK TO LOCKED IN: THE PRE-RYANS ERA

 

Before DeMeco Ryans arrived in 2023, the Houston Texans were football’s cautionary tale. Over the three seasons preceding his hire:

 

They won only 11 games combined.

 

They cycled through multiple head coaches.

 

Their front office was in disarray.

 

Morale—both inside and outside the locker room—was non-existent.

 

 

Ryans inherited a roster with holes on both sides of the ball, a rookie quarterback in C.J. Stroud, and a city that had grown disillusioned with football. What he’s accomplished since has been nothing short of a cultural reset.

 

 

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🔄 2023: THE SCRIPT FLIP

 

In his first season at the helm:

 

The Texans finished 10–7.

 

Claimed the AFC South title.

 

And won a Wild Card playoff game, stunning the football world and establishing the Ryans-led Texans as no fluke.

 

 

Many expected a sophomore slump. It never came.

 

 

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🔁 2024: THE STANDARD RISES

 

The 2024 season saw Houston post another 10–7 record, once again reaching the playoffs—this time advancing to the Divisional Round. While the Texans ultimately fell short of the AFC Championship Game, they did so as one of the youngest and most cohesive units in football.

 

What stood out?

 

C.J. Stroud’s continued evolution under Ryans’ system.

 

A defense that ranked top-10 in sacks and takeaways.

 

Offensive line play that held up despite key injuries.

 

A locker room that repeatedly echoed Ryans’ mantra: “We’re not done.”

 

 

 

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🏆 NO COACH OF THE YEAR LOVE? WHY THE SNUB ISN’T SURPRISING—BUT STILL WRONG

 

Despite becoming the fastest coach in Texans history to 20 career wins, Ryans has yet to crack the top tier of Coach of the Year conversations.

 

Why?

 

Lack of flash: Ryans doesn’t give bold soundbites. He gives structure.

 

Quiet consistency: Two 10–7 seasons won’t go viral, but they’ll build dynasties.

 

Emerging market bias: Houston doesn’t move the needle like Dallas, New York, or San Francisco in national media circles.

 

 

But for anyone watching closely, it’s clear: Ryans has done more with less than nearly any coach in the league.

 

 

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🔮 2025 OUTLOOK: A TEAM WITH TRACTION

 

The Texans enter the 2025 season with legitimate aspirations, and not just to make the playoffs:

 

Stroud is now an MVP dark horse.

 

The defense has added depth and speed, including via the draft.

 

And Ryans has another full offseason to instill discipline and expand the playbook.

 

 

Expectations have shifted from “prove it” to “take the next step.” And Ryans knows it.

 

> “The thing about culture is you can’t fake it,” Ryans said. “We’ve got guys that want to work. We’ve got a city that’s believing again. That’s the foundation for everything else.”

 

 

 

 

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🔥 MORE THAN JUST A TEAM—A MOVEMENT

 

Houston isn’t just winning games under DeMeco Ryans. They’re earning respect.

 

From defensive coordinator Matt Burke’s aggressive schemes…

 

To veterans like Laremy Tunsil mentoring the next generation…

 

To Ryans’ unwavering ability to weather the AFC South storm…

 

 

…the Texans are not a fluke, not a feel-good story. They’re becoming a model franchise, one forged not in hype, but in hard-earned grit.

 

 

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🏁 FINAL WORD

 

DeMeco Ryans may not have a Coach of the Year trophy on his shelf—yet—but what he’s building in Houston is rarer and arguably more valuable: a culture of winning that doesn’t need to shout to be heard.

 

In 2025, expect more grit, more growth, more games that matter, and—if justice prevails—finally some of the national recognition this franchise and its quiet architect deserve.

 

Because in Houston, the noise doesn’t matter. The results do. And under DeMeco Ryans, the results are speaking louder every season.