DeMeco Ryans is in his first season as an NFL head coach after previously serving as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator, and he already knows what sort of coach he wants to be. In his press conference today, Ryans talked about why he wants to emulate Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, his opponent on Sunday.
“Coach Tomlin has definitely made an impression on me, an impact on me from when I first sat down with him when I was a player,” Ryans said via the Texans’ YouTube channel. “That’s what you want to emulate. How he goes about it. Definitely a guy I look up to, you see his success and how his players rave about him. I think that’s what sticks out the most, and that’s the type of coach I want to be. A man who truly cares about his players, not just as players but as men. That’s where Coach Tomlin sticks out to me the most, and I have the utmost respect for him.”
Tomlin’s respect from his peers is nothing new, and he’s a coach who’s made an impact with a lot of players for who he is a man. It’s one of the reasons why Ronde Barber spoke so highly of him and invited him to his Hall of Fame induction, and players around the league talk of their desire to play for Tomlin. Patrick Peterson cited Tomlin as a key factor for why he signed with the Steelers this offseason.
He’s someone who has the innate ability to truly connect with his players on and off the field, and it’s something that’s earned him a lot of praise and kudos from people in the Steelers organization and around the league.
It’s something that goes a long way, and it’s no surprise that Ryans wants to emulate Tomlin. Both of them are defensive head coaches, cutting their teeth on that side of the ball before getting their shot as head coaches. Ryans also was someone who was a player while Tomlin was a coach, so he has the perspective that a lot of current players do when it comes to their respect and admiration for Tomlin despite never actually playing under him.
Ryans’ Texans will have their hands full with Tomlin’s Steelers on Sunday due to a rash of injuries along the offensive line, and they’re going to need to mitigate Pittsburgh’s pass rush if they want to win, which is no easy task. But Ryans has impressed in his debut season as head coach, leading the Texans to an upset win last week, a 37-17 drubbing of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It’s shaping up to be a good matchup, one that will feature a head coach who’s seen almost everything there is to see in Tomlin and a young up-and-comer in Ryans who wants to follow in his footsteps.
Watch the full presser below:
