Top coaching candidate DeMeco Ryans canceled interview with Colts but could still be an option for Indy
San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator, DeMeco Ryans, was scheduled to interview with the Indianapolis Colts but canceled.
DeMeco Ryans is one of the top head coaching candidates in the league, for good reason. That’s why fans were excited to learn that the Indianapolis Colts had an interview scheduled with Ryans for Indy’s head coaching vacancy. Unfortunately, fans and the Colts received some bad news on Sunday when it was announced that Ryans canceled his interview with Indianapolis. But, the situation may not be as bad as it seems.
During FOX’s pregame show on Sunday, NFL insider, Jay Glazer, announced that Ryans had four head coaching interviews scheduled for Saturday. After completing two, one with the Denver Broncos and one with the Houston Texans, Ryans called the Arizona Cardinals and the Colts to cancel. However, he wasn’t canceling because he was no longer interested but instead because he wanted to refocus on the San Francisco 49ers’ divisional round game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Ryans made the right decision because his 49ers defense was as locked in as ever against Dallas as they won 19-12 and advanced to the NFC Championship. Now, the battle for Indianapolis will be rescheduling an interview with Ryans.
The #49ers DC cancelled 2 of 4 HC interviews to focus on today's game vs. the #Cowboys and Patrick Mahomes insists he will play next week in the AFC Championship game after spraining his ankle in yesterday's game. @JayGlazer has the latest for us ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/mNYJuy706j
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 22, 2023
Will the Colts reschedule DeMeco Ryans for an interview?
All that was reported was that Ryans canceled his interview with Indianapolis. It wasn’t clear if he and Indy had made plans to reschedule the interview or not. Considering that his reason for canceling was to focus on the game, it would make sense that this would be more of a postponement than a full cancellation. However, you never know in the NFL, and scheduling and logistics make a lot of things tough.
If Ryans isn’t rescheduled for an interview, a lot of fans would be devastated because he is one of the top candidates on Indy’s list. San Francisco’s performance against the Cowboys offense on Sunday is the reason why. During his two years as defensive coordinator with the 49ers, their defense has been absolutely dominant. Additionally, all of the players love Ryans and everyone raves about the kind of leader he is.
A former linebacker who was a two-time Pro Bowler during his 10-year career, Ryans would already have all the pieces in place to create another dominant defense with the Colts. Indy’s group of linebackers is the only group that can rival the 49ers’ LBs, and the Colts also have elite players on the defensive line and in the secondary. The biggest question about Ryans possibly being the head coach in Indy is the offensive side of the ball.
The offense is the group that needs the most help, and with a rookie quarterback likely to be added to the equation soon, many people argue that an offensive-minded coach would be best for the Colts. That doesn’t have to be the case though. One of the important tasks of being a head coach is building a competent staff. Ryans could become head coach and focus on the defense but also hire a phenomenal offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach that would aid the development of a young QB. But, that all starts with the Colts rescheduling DeMeco Ryans for an interview.
