The 49ers have a knack for developing head coaches, and it appears as if they’re prepared to say goodbye to defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans next.
San Francisco, along with the rest of the NFL, believes Ryans will be snatched away by a team in need of a head coach next season, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday.
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SIGN UP HERE The report should come as no surprise to the 49ers Faithful, who have watched Ryans lead the NFL’s top defense this season and waited in anticipation as the DC interviewed for coaching positions in the past.
Coming into their Week 14 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 49ers’ unit leads the league in seemingly every defensive category after an impressive 2021 campaign under Ryans as well.
Following last season, Ryans interviewed for the Minnesota Vikings’ head coaching position but declined a second interview. And the 38-year-old also was in the running to fill the Las Vegas Raiders’ vacancy before the team hired Josh McDaniels.
That might have been in Ryans’ best interest, as the coordinator should see his phone ringing off the hook this cycle as the clear front-runner candidate for any coaching vacancies.
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As Schefter noted, Ryans’ potential departure next season would mark the third coordinator in three seasons to leave the 49ers for a head coaching job.
Former offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel joined the Miami Dolphins this past offseason, and former DC Robert Saleh took over coaching the New York Jets before the 2021 NFL season.
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There’s no doubt that Ryans’ presence on the 49ers’ sideline would be missed should he leave next year, along with his impact on what has become the league’s premier defense.
But with talent like his, it’s only a matter of time before Ryans is calling the shots for his own team.