HOUSTON – The Pro Football Writers of America has named Houston Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans the 2023 NFL Coach of the Year.
Named the sixth head coach in club history on January 31, 2023, Ryans enjoyed a remarkable first season leading the Texans, finishing with an 11-8 overall record and guiding the franchise to their seventh AFC South title and their first playoff berth since 2019. Under Ryans, the Texans improved their win total by six wins in 2023, making him the seventh head coach since 2019 to improve their club's record by at least six wins compared to the previous year. It also marks the fifth time the Texans have ever recorded 11-or-more wins in a season, and they are the second team in NFL history to have a winning record directly following three straight seasons of less than four wins.
Ryans' success went hand-in-hand with rookie quarterback and PFWA NFL Rookie of the Year QB C.J. Stroud, as the Texans became the first team in NFL history to win their division with a rookie quarterback and a first-year head coach. Additionally, the duo joined the 1945 Los Angeles Rams, 2008 Baltimore Ravens and 2009 New York Jets as the only teams in NFL history to win a playoff game with a rookie head coach and rookie quarterback. Ryans and Stroud became the fifth first-year head coach and rookie quarterback pair to make the playoffs since the merger.
In addition to Stroud, rookie DE Will Anderson Jr. was named the PFWA 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year, while the Texans earned two AFC Player of the Month awards, six AFC Player of the Week awards and two NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month awards under Ryans' leadership. Houston finished the season ranked sixth in rushing defense (96.6 yards per game allowed) after finishing last in the NFL in rush defense in 2022, while also finishing seventh in the league in passing yards per game (245.5) and 11th in points allowed (20.8).
This marks the first PFWA Coach of the Year honor for Ryans, who was the PFWA's Assistant Coach of the Year honoree in 2022. He is also the first Coach of the Year award recipient for the Texans' franchise. Ryans is just the seventh coach to earn both the Coach of the Year and Assistant Coach of the Year awards from the PFWA during his career (Bruce Arians, Brian Daboll, Dom Capers, Jason Garrett, Marvin Lewis and Ron Rivera).
PFWA NFL COACH OF THE YEAR: 1966 – Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys; 1967 AFL – John Rauch, Oakland Raiders; 1967 NFL – Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers; 1968 AFL – Weeb Ewbank, New York Jets; 1968 NFL – Don Shula, Baltimore Colts; 1969 AFL – John Madden, Oakland Raiders; 1969 NFL – Bud Grant, Minnesota Vikings; 1970 AFC – Paul Brown, Cincinnati Bengals; 1970 NFC – Dick Nolan, San Francisco 49ers; 1971 AFC – Don Shula, Miami Dolphins; 1971 NFC – George Allen, Washington Redskins; 1972 AFC – Don Shula, Miami Dolphins; 1972 NFC – Dan Devine, Green Bay Packers; 1973 AFC – John Ralston, Denver Broncos; 1973 NFC – Chuck Knox, Los Angeles Rams; 1974 AFC – Sid Gilman, Houston Oilers; 1974 NFC – Don Coryell, St. Louis Cardinals; 1975 AFC – Ted Marchibroda, Baltimore Colts; 1975 NFC – Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys; 1976 AFC – Chuck Fairbanks, New England Patriots; 1976 NFC – Jack Pardee, Chicago Bears; 1977 AFC – Red Miller, Denver Broncos; 1977 NFC – Leeman Bennett, Atlanta Falcons; 1978 AFC – Walt Michaels, New York Jets; 1978 NFC – Dick Vermeil, Philadelphia Eagles; 1979 AFC – Don Coryell, San Diego Chargers; 1979 NFC – Dick Vermeil, Philadelphia Eagles; 1980 AFC – Chuck Knox, Buffalo Bills; 1980 NFC – Leeman Bennett, Atlanta Falcons; 1981 AFC – Forrest Gregg, Cincinnati Bengals; 1981 NFC – Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers; 1982 AFC – Tom Flores, Los Angeles Raiders; 1982 NFC – Joe Gibbs, Washington Redskins; 1983 AFC – Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers; 1983 NFC – Joe Gibbs, Washington Redskins; 1984 AFC – Chuck Knox, Seattle Seahawks; 1984 NFC – Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers; 1985 AFC – Raymond Berry, New England Patriots; 1985 NFC – Mike Ditka, Chicago Bears; 1986 AFC – Marty Schottenheimer, Cleveland Browns; 1986 NFC – Bill Parcells, New York Giants; 1987 AFC – Ron Meyer, New England Patriots; 1987 NFC – Jim Mora, New Orleans Saints; 1988 AFC – Sam Wyche, Cincinnati Bengals; 1988 NFC – Mike Ditka, Chicago Bears; 1989 AFC – Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers; 1989 NFC – Lindy Infante, Green Bay Packers; 1990 – Art Shell, Los Angeles Raiders; 1991 – Wayne Fontes, Detroit Lions; 1992 – Bobby Ross, San Diego Chargers; 1993 – Dan Reeves, New York Giants; 1994 – Bill Parcells, New England Patriots; 1995 – Dom Capers, Carolina Panthers; 1996 – Dom Capers, Carolina Panthers; 1997 – Jim Fassel, New York Giants; 1998 – Dan Reeves, Atlanta Falcons; 1999 – Dick Vermeil, St. Louis Rams; 2000 – Jim Haslett, New Orleans Saints; 2001 – Dick Jauron, Chicago Bears; 2002 – Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles; 2003 – Bill Belichick, New England Patriots; 2004 – Marty Schottenheimer, San Diego Chargers; 2005 – Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears; 2006 – Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints; 2007 – Bill Belichick, New England Patriots; 2008 – Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins; 2009 – Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals; 2010 – Bill Belichick, New England Patriots; 2011 – Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers; 2012 – Bruce Arians, Indianapolis Colts; 2013 – Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers; 2014 – Bruce Arians, Arizona Cardinals; 2015 – Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers; 2016 – Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys; 2017 – Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams; 2018 – Matt Nagy, Chicago Bears; 2019 – John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens; 2020 – Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns; 2021 – Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans; 2022 – Brian Daboll, New York Giants; 2023 – DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans.
