Texans' Head Coach Making Change Amid 0-4 Start

Houston coach DeMeco Ryans is making a key change to help his team climb out of an early hole.

by Ezra Lombardi

Oct 7, 2026

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans reacts during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Reliant Stadium.

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

It hasn’t been the start most imagined for the Houston Texans, who were looking to build on a 2025 season that ended just shy of the AFC Championship game.

The team is off to a surprising 0-4 start, with losses to the Bills, Colts, Bengals, and Cowboys. What’s even more bizarre about the early struggles is that it has been the defense, which was the best in football a year ago, that has let them down so far, allowing an average of 343.8 yards and 27.3 points.

With that, head coach DeMeco Ryans is making a change. The former linebacker announced Wednesday that he is making the “tough decision” to take over defensive play-calling duties from defensive coordinator Matt Burke.

“I’m just looking for something to change,” Ryans explained. “Can we spark a little change?”

Burke was hired as DC in 2023 at the same time that Ryans took the Texans head coaching job. The team has made the playoffs in each of their first three seasons together, winning the division in their first two years and clinching a Wild Card spot in 2025.

But Ryans, a former defensive coordinator with the 49ers, was responsible for defensive play calling and largely credited for Houston’s excellent defense during this stretch. Just four games into the season, it appears the decision to offload these duties is being highlighted as a mistake.

Ryans emphasized that it is “no slight” to Burke or the job he has done, rather an attempt to “streamline the communication.” Still, it’s an admission that the Texans have some serious issues on the defensive side of the ball that need to be addressed if they are going to turn the season around and get back to the playoffs for a fourth straight season.