Count Andy Benoit among the believers in Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans

For the Houston Texans, the emergence of a new coaching staff has done wonders for team culture heading into 2023-2024. At the forefront of that turnaround is first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans. 

The former San Fransisco 49ers defensive coordinator is a popular figure around the league and has quickly introduced himself in a positive way in Houston. Renowned as an intelligent football mind and excellent human being, Ryans has his fair share of supporters as he embarks on his head coaching journey. 

One of those supporters is Los Angeles Rams assistant Andy Benoit. I got the chance to speak with Benoit earlier today in a virtual press conference and he had rave reviews for the Texans head honcho. 

“It’s rare to see a guy who has played at a high level be a really high level coach as well, and he’s done that, so there’s a credibility factor there,” Benoit said.

For a new head coach, a proven track record is essential to gaining the respect and recognition of your new players. Ryans has proven his effectiveness throughout the course of his coaching career, gaining the respect of his Texans counterparts. 

“What matters is if you put your players in position to win,” Benoit added. “That’s what guys care about and that’s what I was so impressed with DeMeco [Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans]. There was nobody better at throwing changeup pitches as a defensive coordinator than Ryans. In other words, the 49ers have the things that they do. They’re kind of a Cover 3 foundation type defense. They’re not only that but that’s kind of their home base. They play it really well, they run a lot of stunts with a four man rush. That’s their game and then they blitz very selectively. When he does call the blitzes, or when he drops in, or rotates to cover 2, which they don’t do a lot, his timing is incredible and there have been so many cases where he has brought something that you haven’t seen on film. Not only does he call it, but his guys execute it really well. He is a really hard coach to play against for that reason, where he will win with the defensive playcall in big moments.” 

“That’s what really matters. Those kind of calls where your guys see that you’re putting them in the best position, it’s easy for the players to buy in whatever your personality is. Doesn’t hurt that you’re a great guy, which is my sense that Ryans is.” 

Buying into the new system and the proper establishment of a cultural foundation are key pieces to the Texans' improvement this season. As of right now, all appears well in H-Town.

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