DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans are bringing championship experience into their group. Throughout the 2025 season, the Texans added a slew of players to their roster, some with big-game experience.
This time, they are bolstering Ryans’ staff.
The addition comes after Ryans made minor tweaks to his slew of assistants to cap the 2025 campaign.
Texans Hire Former Patriots OL
GettyJames Ferentz #65 of the New England Patriots during a game against the New York Giants.
On Wednesday, Ryans fired Texans tight ends coach Jake Moreland. The decision was part of a set of moves that is expected to be their only significant departures.
On Friday, the Texans filled Moreland’s vacated role
“The Texans are hiring former New York Giants assistant offensive line coach James Ferentz to their offensive staff, per a league source,” KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson wrote on January 30. “Ferentz is expected to help with tight ends.”
Ferentz is the son of Iowa Hawkeyes HC Kirk Ferentz. He won Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos (2015) and New England Patriots (2018). He also had a brief stint with the Texans.
Ferentz arrives highly regarded for his work as a coach, though.
“Last season, the Giants had the ninth-best offensive line, according to Pro Football Focus and was fourth-best in pass blocking efficiency,” The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander wrote on January 30.
PFF ranked the Texans’ offensive line 27th in the league for 2025, but did note that they were fifth in pass-blocking efficiency.
Texans Fill Another Vacancy
GettyHouston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans looks on before a game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Ryans and the Texans were not done yet, with Alexander noting they still had an opening on the staff after “Zach Yenser, an assistant offensive line coach, left for the Dolphins to join former Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.”
Alexander noted that Ferentz’s background fit that and Moreland’s old role.
With Ferentz taking over for Moreland, per Wilson, the Texans’ other addition will apparently be to fill Yenser’s old role.
“#Texans also hiring former @UCF_Football offensive quality control Alex Ward, a former Troy University graduate assistant who worked with Cole Popovich,” Wilson reported in a follow-up post on X.
Popovich is the Texans’ OL coach and offensive run game coordinator.
He was on the Patriots’ staff while Ferentz was on their roster, coaching his new Texans colleague directly in 2020. Texans GM Nick Caserio was in New England for most of Ferentz’s tenure.
Ferentz was also teammates with Texans center Jake Andrews, right tackle and fellow starter Trent Brown, and reserves cornerback Myles Bryant and offensive lineman Sidy Sow on the Patriots.
James Ferentz Brings Playing Experience to Coaching Staff
GettyJames Ferentz #65 of the New England Patriots warms up before a game against the New York Jets.
One of the things that Ryans has been commended for during his tenure as Texans head coach is his ability to connect with players. It is something both he and those whom he has coached attribute at least partly to his experience as a player.
Ryans was the No. 33 overall pick, taken by the Texans during the 2006 draft.
He played six seasons with the Texans and another four with the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring due to medical reasons, which is another, less joyous tie to Houston.
Ferentz brings a familiar level of credibility in that regard. He never achieved the status that Ryans, who started 139 of 140 career games, did as a player. Still, Ferentz drew 10 starts in 61 games over his nine-year career.
Now, the former undrafted free agent will look to help Ryans and the Texans.
Dalton Schultz had a career season for the Texans. However, the Texans’ other tight ends struggled to produce or even draw significant attention in the offense in 2025.
Texans Add 2-Time Super Bowl Champion With Multiple Franchise Ties