New To The Silver & Blue: Rob Ryan
I have to admit when I found out Rob Ryan was being considered for the defensive coordinator spot I was confronted by a flash of Buddy Ryan coaching our rivals the Eagles and thoughts of him sounding off on Jimmy Johnson and the Cowboys. Now it’s funny when we hear sound bites now and again of the argument but back then I was one mad Cowboy Fan. However that is the past, and we are now moving on to the future.
I didn’t know anything about the Ryan family when I started researching however I learned some very interesting facts.
Rob was born December 13, 1962 in Ardmore, Oklahoma. He is the son of former NFL head coach Buddy Ryan and his twin brother Rex is the current head coach of the New York Jets.
Rob’s parents Buddy and Doris divorced in 1966 and the boys moved to Canada with their mother. In 1974 they came back to the states to live with their father. Rob attended high school in Linconchire, Illinois.
Rob attended college at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where our own Kelly Horn graduated, where he played defensive end opposite his brother Rex.
Rob’s resume is a long one. He began his coaching career in 1987.
Here is his coaching resume:
- 1987 Assistant at Western Kentucky
- 1988 Ohio State – Linebacker
- 1989-93 Tennessee State – RB, LB and DL
- 1994-95 Arizona Cardinals – Defensive Backs
- 1996 Hutchinson Community College
- 1997-1999 Oklahoma State – Defensive Coordinator
- 2000- 03 New England Patriots – Linebacker
- 2004 – 08 Oakland Raiders – Defensive Coordinator
- 2009-10 Cleveland Browns – Defensive Coordinator
While that is impressive, I wanted to know how good is he at his job. He was named Defensive Coordinator of the Year in 1997 by the Sporting News for getting Oklahoma State’s defense ranked among the best in the nation. In 2003 New England’s defense ranked 1st in the NFL in fewest points allowed, along with best scoring defense in 2001.
I was pleased to find out that his players admitted that he is a coach that demands respect but that they loved playing for him. Buddy Ryan said his son gets 100% out of each player.
Rob Ryan has an abundance of experience and unlike his father, his players respect him and he gets the best out of each player. Along with stars like DeMarcus Ware and Jay-Rat, he will also have young talent to work with. It will be interesting to see if he can turn Mike Jenkins around and what he can turn Bryan McCann into. He has talented veterans to depend on along with the young guns to mold.
I am not a Buddy Ryan fan, but I have to admit his sons seem to have learned something Buddy himself didn’t – Coaches must have players respect.
I can’t wait to see what the 2011 season has to offer. With Jason Garrett at the helm and Rob Ryan pumping up the defense we will definitely improve this season. We just need to take it one game at a time.