The Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year field is strong this season, with names like Mike Vrabel (Patriots), Liam Cohen (Jaguars), Mike Macdonald (Seahawks), Ben Johnson (Bears) and Kyle Shanahan (49ers) rounding out the top five. The odds for each to win are as follows (according to Bet MGM. NOTE: This list reflected the odds at the time of writing):

- Mike Vrabel: +135

- Liam Cohen: +475

- Mike Macdonald: +475

- Ben Johnson: +600

- Kyle Shanahan: +600

Each of the aforementioned coaches have engineered pristine seasons in their own right. For example, Vrabel has led the Patriots to an 11-3 record through 15 weeks, after the franchise won eight games combined over the previous two years.  Then you have Liam Cohen, who has led his Jaguars team to a 10-4 record, matching the team's best win total since 2017. 

Macdonald, Johnson and Shanahan also have endured injuries, sophomore expectations and the NFC West en route to dominating the top of the NFL standings with only three weeks left in the regular season. 

However, one head man who's name should be added to the list of potential candidates is Houston Texans' head coach Demeco Ryans.

Stop us if you've heard this before, but the Texans currently have the NFL's #1 overall defense and are on a six-game win streak, dating back to week 10 (Nov. 9th) against Cohen's Jaguars. Their campaign looked lost at sea after an 0-3 start, but Ryans helped steady the ship and lead his men to a 9-5 record after 15 weeks.

Houston's turnaround includes a three-game stretch with backup quarterback Davis Mills leading the offense, leading to the first three victories of their current win streak. Along the way, the team defeated the likes of the Jaguars, Bills, Colts and Chiefs. 

After looking dead in the water early on, the Texans now find themselves as the 7th seed in the AFC. They are also recognized as one of the hottest teams in all of football, with national personalities like Stephen A. Smith expressing confidence that Houston actually might be the team most likely to represent the AFC in next year's Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California. 

Ryans should receive plenty of credit for helping to hold the team together when fans and media were shouting for major changes after the abysmal beginning to the season. 

While he did reportedly shift his weekly preparation priorities and hand defensive play calling duties to defensive coordinator Matt Burke, he didn't tear down the coaching staff or team roster in search of hasty answers.

He stayed the course, faced the heat behind the podium and has been rewarded with the chance for his team to be the second team in 27 years (since 1998) to make the NFL playoffs after starting a season 0-3. The last team to do so? That would also be the Texans, accomplishing it in the 2018 season.

He currently is eighth on the list at +6600 for the award, behind Sean Payton (Broncos) at +1500 (sixth) and Sean McVay (Rams) at +5000 (seventh). He could improve his chances by guiding his club to a 3-0 stretch to end the season. That would equal a nine-game win streak and a tie of the franchise record in wins in a single season with 12. 

While him winning it is considered a long shot right now, it should mean a lot for him to still be in the top-10 after facing the trials and tribulations that he has in 2025. 

(Note: Ryans was actually a tiebreaker runner-up for the award after the 2023 season, coming up short against the Brown's Kevin Stefanski)

Do you think Ryans should be higher on the list at this point? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below and on our official Texans Roundtable X account, @Texans_RTB!