Getty 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans.
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s arrival to Minnesota has ramped up the search for a new head coach.
The Vikings’ most recent interview for the head coach position: San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans last Sunday — a day after he orchestrated a defensive demolition of the Green Bay Packers in a 13-10 win in the NFC divisional round.
Adofo-Mensah overlapped with Ryans for three seasons in San Francisco, spending the first seven years of his NFL career rising through the ranks of the 49ers front office.
Ryans has been deemed as a favorite, although Adofo-Mensah has not packaged himself to a head coach candidate just yet.
That wasn’t enough to stop a frenzy in San Francisco as 49ers fans freaked out over a rumor that Ryans was named a finalist for the Vikings head coaching job.
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‘Heartbreaker If He Goes’
Following Adofo-Mensah’s official hiring on Wednesday, January 26, NFL Rumors tweeted that “The Minnesota Vikings have 49ers DC Demeco Ryans as a finalist for the head coaching job.”
The Minnesota Vikings have 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans as a finalist for the head coaching job per @FOXSports
To be clear: Ryans is not an official “finalist” like Adofo-Mensah and Kansas City Chiefs executive Ryan Poles were for the general manager position. The Vikings have not extended any second interview requests nor interviewed a single candidate with Adofo-Mensah on the call as of Thursday, January 27. Any coach interviewed or available for interviews in the past month are still in play as Adofo-Mensah helps the Vikings narrow their search moving forward.
However, that didn’t stop 49ers fans from a knee-jerk reaction to the rumor — a sign of their admiration for Ryans, who has been deemed a favorite for the job.
One fan spouted an expletive that many others echoed throughout Twitter.
“F****** that guy has been huge this season. Heart breaker if he goes.”
@nflrums @FOXSports Fuuuuuck that guy has been huge this season. Heart breaker if he goes.
Another #49erFaninHisfeelings was sentimental over the potential of Ryans’ short-lived tenure with the team. Ryans was promoted to defensive coordinator for the 2021 season after serving as the team’s inside linebackers coach from 2018-20 and a defensive quality control coach in 2017.
@nflrums @FOXSports I honestly hope Demeco Ryans don’t take the job , I know ultimately every assistant wants to be a HC but damnnn we only had one year with him can’t he be like the OC from Patriots and say F it and stay for awhile. Lol #49erFaninhisfeelings
One fan said Ryans, who played linebacker in the NFL for 10 seasons, is deserving of a head coach position.
@nflrums @FOXSports Nooooooo, deserving, but nooooooo
Several Las Vegas Raiders fans chimed in that their team needs to secure Ryans before the Vikings.
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Ryans Ascended Through NFL Ranks Quickly
Selected by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2006 draft, Ryans earned two Pro Bowl trips and an All-Pro mention during his six seasons in Houston. He spent the final four years of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring in 2015.
Ryans, 37, has helped develop one of the most formidable defenses in the NFL in San Francisco. The 49ers defense played a vital role in handing the Dallas Cowboys and the Packers home upsets and amassing 10 sacks and 20 quarterback hits between the two games. They’ve allowed an average of 13.5 points per game in the postseason. Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked San Francisco the eighth-best defense in the 2021 regular season.
Adofo-Mensah expects to incorporate more analytics into decision-making and will need a head coach that is accommodating to that system. In an ESPN survey, the 49ers were among the “most analytically inclined” NFL teams, priming Ryans to be an ideal fit for Adofo-Mensah in Minnesota.
ESPN’s 49ers beat reporter Nick Wagoner figures Ryans to be “squarely in the mix” to be the Vikings’ next head coach.