San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is in a position most NFL assistant coaches covet. He leads the league standings, his team is one win away from the Super Bowl, and after the regular season, he has been sought after by other teams looking for a head coach.
Four teams with vacancies — the Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans and Denver Broncos — have asked to interview Lynes, who is black. Because of the Looney Rule, all NFL clubs are required to interview minority or female candidates for head coaching positions, and in previous recruiting cycles, black coordinators like Eric Bieniemy, who runs Kansas City’s offense, and Leslie Frazier, who runs the Bills’ defense, were Introduced by multiple teams but not hired by any team.
According to reports, Reigns is ready to accept invitations for the head coaching position of multiple teams.
This will not be the first time Reigns has held the top job. He was a candidate to open last year with the Minnesota Vikings, but declined a second interview with the team’s front office, saying he wanted to coach another year in San Francisco.
A former Pro Bowl linebacker, Lynes retired after 10 seasons in the NFL with the Texans and Eagles. He spent four seasons in San Francisco as an assistant coach starting in 2017 before succeeding Robert Saleh as defensive coordinator in 2021.
“I’m not just going to be a head coach and say, ‘Oh, I’m a head coach,'” Reigns said in a news conference in June. “If I do this, I want to be very successful in this, and I want to do it for a long time. So it’s not just about taking the first chance, but for all of us, no matter what happens to us in life. Given any opportunity, you want it to be the best for you, where you can see its longevity, make a lasting impression, and be able to impact lives that aren’t just me.”