DeMeco's presser was electric. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.
The Houston Texans hit a home run with the hiring of DeMeco Ryans to be the franchise’s next head coach.
For the first time in a long time, there is a sense of optimism with the organization. Ryans’ introductory press conference only solidified that.
Ryans said it was a “no-brainer” to choose the Texans over any other head coaching gig in the league. It is a homecoming for the former linebacker that was selected by Houston in the 2006 draft. This is his dream job, and his level of commitment to rebuild the team to prominence is infectious.
When general manager Nick Caserio and owner Cal McNair met him during their Zoom interview a few weeks back, they both caught the Ryans fever. It was one of the most impressive interviews they’ve ever had, Caserio told reporters on Thursday.
Even though San Francisco was just a few days away from playing the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs, Ryans knew where he wanted to be for the 2023 season and beyond.
“I want to come home. This is my dream job. Let’s make this thing happen,” were the parting words Ryans told McNair and Caserio at the end of their meeting.
From that point on, it was a matter of waiting.
Since then, it appears a majority of the city has caught the Ryans fever too. Fans and followers of the Texans almost unanimously approve of the move. Even former players have it as well. NRG Stadium was filled with notable former Texans, including Andre Johnson and Brian Cushing, on Thursday. Numerous current players also showed up.
Now the real work begins
Houston has a lot of work to do with numerous resources to help. With two first-round draft picks and a plethora of draft capital and cap space over the coming years to go along with it, Ryans will be tasked with helping lead the team back to relevance.
He will not do it alone. One of the biggest lessons he’s learned in his young coaching career is that it is all about collaboration with the front office, Ryans said. It is something that must be music to Caserio’s ears.
Ryans and Caserio will be looking for players that play with precision, effort, and physicality. Ryans, who has starred as a defensive coordinator in his young coaching career, even has a vision for the Texans’ offense too.
Ryans want to own the line of scrimmage. He wants the team to establish the run game first, but he also wants to be balanced and be able to operate with play action and be efficient.
When it comes to coaching, Ryans knows he needs to be adaptable. That goes for everyone he brings into the organization. He wants a diverse coaching staff, and what he means by that is having coaches with different levels of experience. He wants coaches that are great teachers. He wants guys that are positive and that can connect with players.
Ultimately, a reason why a lot of people have the Ryans fever is because for the first time in a long time, it seems like the Texans have a plan. They have a specific vision. Above all else, Ryans wants to be here just as much as Houston supporters want him to succeed.
“We want to bring a winning team,” Ryans said. “That is what we want to bring to Houston. We want to bring you guys a team that you’re going to be proud of as fans. We want to fill up NRG Stadium and we want you guys to truly make this a home field advantage for us again.”
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The Houston Astros entered the 2025 MLB Draft with limited capital but a clear objective: find talent that can help sustain their winning ways without needing a full organizational reboot. With just under $7.2 million in bonus pool money and two forfeited picks, lost when they signed slugger Christian Walker, the Astros needed to be smart, aggressive, and a little bold. They were all three.
A swing on star power
With the 21st overall pick, Houston selected Xavier Neyens, a powerful left-handed high school bat from Mt. Vernon, Washington. At 6-foot-4, Neyens is raw but loaded with tools, a slugger with plus power and the kind of bat speed that turns heads.
He’s the Astros’ first high school position player taken in the first round in a decade.
If Neyens develops as expected, he could be the next cornerstone in the post-Altuve/Bregman era. Via: MLB.com:
It’s possible we’ll look back at this first round and realize that the Astros got the best power hitter in the class. At times, Neyens has looked like an elite hitter who’d easily get to that pop, and at times the swing-and-miss tendencies concerned scouts, which is why he didn’t end up closer to the top of the first round. He was announced as a shortstop, but his size (6-foot-4) and his arm will profile best at third base.
Their next big swing came in the third round with Ethan Frey, an outfielder/DH from LSU who was one of the most imposing college hitters in the country.
He blasted 13 home runs in the SEC and helped lead the Tigers to a championship.
Filling the middle
In the fourth round, the Astros grabbed Nick Monistere, an infielder/outfielder out of Southern Miss who won Sun Belt Player of the Year honors.
If Kendall likes the pick, I like the pick. https://t.co/NQKqEHFxtV
— Jeremy Branham (@JeremyBranham) July 14, 2025
He doesn’t jump off the page with tools, but he rakes, hitting .323 with 21 home runs this past season, and plays with a chip on his shoulder.
They followed that up with Nick Potter, a right-handed reliever from Wichita State. He projects as a fast-moving bullpen piece, already showing a mature approach and a “fastball that was regularly clocked in the upper-90s and touched 100 miles per hour.”
From there, Houston doubled down on pitching depth and versatility. They took Gabel Pentecost, a Division II flamethrower, Jase Mitchell, a high school catcher with upside, and a host of college arms, all in hopes of finding the next Spencer Arrighetti or Hunter Brown.
Strategy in motion
Missing multiple picks, Houston leaned into two things: ceiling and speed to the majors. Neyens brings the first, Frey and Monistere the second. And as they’ve shown in recent years, the Astros can develop arms with late-round pedigree into major league contributors.
The Astros didn’t walk away with flashy headlines, they weren’t drafting in the top 10. But they leave the 2025 draft with a clear direction: keep the farm alive with bats that can produce and arms that can fill in the gaps, especially with the club managing injuries and an aging core.
If Neyens becomes the slugger they hope, and if Frey or Monistere climbs fast, this draft could be another example of Houston turning limited resources into lasting impact.
You can see the full draft tracker here.
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