San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is considered the favorite for the Houston Texans' head coaching job, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Ryans, who interviewed with the Texans on Jan. 20, also has been linked to head-coaching vacancies with the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts.
But after overseeing the NFL's No. 1 defense this past season, Ryans now is the front-runner to be the next head coach of the Texans, who cannot conduct a second interview with him until after the 49ers play in Sunday's NFC Championship Game.