San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans has been chosen as the NFL Assistant Coach of the Year for the 2022 season by the Professional Football Writers of America.

Ryans is a former Alabama All-American linebacker.

The PFWA selected Brian Daboll of the New York Giants as its 2022 NFL Coach of the Year. Daboll worked as Alabama’s offensive coordinator in the 2017 season, when the Crimson Tide won the CFP national championship.

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In the 2022 regular season, San Francisco gave up 16.3 points and 300.6 yards per game, with both figures the best in the NFL.

The 49ers are scheduled to play the Philadelphia Eagles at 2 p.m. CST Sunday in the NFC Championship Game.

The Denver Broncos and Houston Texans have interviewed Ryans about becoming their head coach in 2023, and the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts have received permission from San Francisco to interview him about their vacancies at head coach.

Ryans began his coaching career as a defensive quality-control assistant with San Francisco in 2017, then coached the 49ers’ inside linebackers for three seasons. Ryans became defensive coordinator when Robert Saleh left the position to become the head coach of the New York Jets in 2021.

After making All-State as a linebacker at Jess Lanier High School in Bessemer in 2001, Ryans earned unanimous All-American recognition, won the SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award and received the Lott IMPACT Trophy for the 2005 season as a senior at Alabama. (IMPACT stands for integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity.) He capped his college career as the Defensive MVP of the 2006 Cotton Bowl in Alabama’s 13-10 victory over Texas Tech.

A second-round selection of the Texans in the 2006 NFL Draft, Ryans won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, received two Pro Bowl invitations and played 10 NFL seasons.

Daboll left Alabama after one season to become the offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills. After four seasons in that position, Daboll took the reins of the Giants in 2022 and guided the team to a 9-7-1 record and its first playoff berth since 2016. The Giants defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31-24 on Jan. 15 for New York’s first postseason victory since defeating the New England Patriots 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5, 2012.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.