The San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans meet on Sunday in Houston, and there is no shortage of familiar faces and history. Azeez Al-Shaair will do battle against his former team, but the defensive matchup of Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans is at the forefront. Most remember Ryans and Saleh’s time together on the 49ers’ defensive staff. Their history goes much further back.
Most people don’t realize that Saleh’s first NFL gig was as an intern on the Houston Texans’ defensive staff in 2005. In 2006, Gary Kubiak promoted Saleh to defensive quality control coach. That same season, the Texans drafted a linebacker from Alabama named DeMeco Ryans. Saleh detailed his time with Ryans as a player in Houston.
What struck you about Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans in 2017 when you got here and he was a quality control guy?
“Well, first, I was there when we drafted DeMeco. He’s just different. You could tell he was different from the get. He was Defensive Rookie of the Year. I remember we initially had him at WILL linebacker, and then something happened during OTAs, he slid in the MIKE, and that was the last of it for him. The rest is history. But, incredible mind. What makes him special to me is that he has an incredible amount of humility in terms of knowing he doesn’t have the answers, he’s willing to ask the right questions, and he is incredibly smart and will learn. He can evolve, he can adapt, he’s a great communicator, and people gravitate towards him. He’s an elite human, elite father, elite man. He’s all of it. We knew that from when we drafted him, and obviously, he stayed true to himself as he’s gotten bigger and bigger.”
Ryans finished his playing career as a two-time Pro Bowler, a second-team All-Pro berth in 2007, and led the league in tackles in 2006.
When Kyle Shanahan was hired in 2017, Ryans was hired as the defensive quality control coach with Saleh as the defensive coordinator. Ryans ascended from QC to linebackers coach and eventually replaced Saleh as defensive coordinator. According to Saleh, that was the plan all along for Ryans.
When you left here to go to New York, how aware were you that DeMeco was going to be next in line? Did you have any peace of mind knowing that the 49ers were in good hands if DeMeco was taking the job?
“It was a no-brainer for Kyle. That was the setup from day one. Like I said, DeMeco, he ascended so fast. Obviously, he played the game, but to go from QC to linebackers coach to coordinator, he was ready to be a coordinator after his first year of being a linebackers coach. Like I said, he’s got a fantastic mind. He’s a quick learner, and he’s got the confidence to be able to adjust. He did. He made it his own in his years as a coordinator. So, he took what he learned, he made it his own, and they played fantastic football, earned a spot, rebuilt it in Houston, and they’re doing it again. So, he has proven that he understood the blueprint. It wasn’t like he just took over a car and he started driving it around. He made that thing better, and he went and built a new one again. But yeah, he’s a fantastic coach. Everyone in this building at least knew that it was going to be good when he took over.”
Their time together has highlighted both similarities and differences in how each coach constructs their defense. Al-Shaair was a natural fit for Ryans new defense in Houston. Even the selection of Jalen Pitre at safety, which was the year before his hire, can be viewed as a duplication of how Ryans used Jimmie Ward during his time with the 49ers—a true chess piece in the secondary.
Saleh’s fingerprints are all over this season’s draft selections; defensive linemen who can stop the run with the chance to evolve into three-down linemen with pass-rushing acumen. Ryans has some big boys up front, but the line is anchored by veteran EDGE Danielle Hunter and the impressive third-year EDGE Will Anderson, Jr, who Ryans and the Texans selected third overall after C.J. Stroud in 2023.
Since Ryans took over, the Texans have selected 12 defensive players out of their 27 selections in three years. Now, the Texans are the number one defense in the NFL. Their paths have broken off, but Saleh is likely looking for an opportunity to rebuild a franchise like Ryans did when he took over in Houston. Saleh brushed off the question about his end goal of becoming a head coach again, but you can bet the 49ers’ defensive coordinator wants another crack at running a team.
Now, the two meet again in Houston, and the love and admiration aren’t in short supply. Saleh asked if there was ever any chance to take Ryans with him to New York after he was hired as the head coach, and Saleh replied with: “Kyle would’ve killed me.”
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