It’s been nearly ten years since Rex Ryan last coached in the NFL, which came in 2016 with the Buffalo Bills. He’s seemingly been trying to get back in ever since. Yet, while he hasn’t been able to return to the NFL, he has stayed busy, providing his analysis for ESPN in the meantime.
But now rumors of Ryan’s NFL return are circulating again, thanks to getting an interview for a prominent position on a coaching staff this past week.
Rex Ryan interviews for Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator vacancy
On Wednesday, the Dallas Cowboys interviewed Rex Ryan for their current defensive coordinator position, left vacant from Dan Quinn becoming the head coach of the Washington Commanders. Ryan, 61, has 12 years of NFL experience either as a head coach or defensive coordinator. He also has another eight years in various defensive roles in the NFL, and another eight in college.
In other words, Ryan, who comes from a long line of football coaches, has more than enough experience to take over the Cowboys’ defense.
Like we’ve recently seen from the Cowboys, Ryan has always preferred an aggressive style, usually backed by a 3-4 blitz-heavy defensive front. While the Cowboys don’t run the same scheme, Quinn did use elements of the 3-4 defense, like many modern coordinators do.
But Ryan is not the only former NFL head coach to interview in Dallas. They’ve also spoken with Ron Rivera and Mike Zimmer, to name a few. While we may not know who will be calling plays for the Cowboys’ defense next year, it appears their coaching search is prioritizing someone with previous experience. Perhaps that means Ryan gets back in the NFL, after seven seasons working in the media world.
