The Texans appear to have found their long-term head coach in DeMeco Ryans.

The former NFL linebacker has quickly transformed Houston from an afterthought in the AFC to a legitimate contender. Rookie QB C.J. Stroud played a huge part in that, powering the team to the divisional round despite minimal expectations in Year 1.

Other than drafting Stroud, the best decision Ryans made came early in his coaching tenure. In Ryans’ first major coaching decision, he chose Bobby Slowik as his offensive coordinator, bringing the young guru over from San Francisco to lead an offense that endured a tumultuous couple of years without Deshaun Watson.

Under Slowik’s tutelage, Stroud put together one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history. Slowik also experienced success with WR Nico Collins, who turned in a career year, and rookie WR Tank Dell, who made a seamless transition to the NFL.

Ryans might face another critical decision this offseason: replacing Slowik, who has become a prime head coaching candidate as teams look to revitalize their offenses in the same manner as the Texans.