Rex Ryan, New York Giants
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Former NFL coach Rex Ryan of 'ESPN's Sunday's NFL Countdown' speaks onstage during the ESPN portion of the 2017 Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour.
When it came to John Harbaugh filling out his New York Giants coaching staff, there were almost too many names for the former Baltimore Ravens head coach to consider.
After spending 18 seasons as a head coach in Baltimore, and 10 before that as an Andy Reid assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles, he wasn’t short on connections across the league.
Before landing on former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator and Ravens assistant Dennard Wilson to coach his defense, Harbaugh strongly considered another familiar face from Baltimore, Rex Ryan, as his defensive coordinator, according to The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor.
Ryan, a current ESPN analyst, hasn’t coached in the NFL since 2016, but has been in consideration for several defensive coordinator positions since.
Rex Ryan Was a Serious Candidate to be Giants’ DC
In an interview with O’Connor, Harbaugh revealed how he feels about Ryan dating back to their shared Baltimore Ravens days, and why he received such serious consideration for the New York Giants job.
“He even acted on a suggestion he first made on WFAN Radio by speaking with his former assistant in Baltimore, ESPN analyst Rex Ryan, about the coordinator position,” wrote O’Connor.
“‘I talked to Rex about that job at length,’ Harbaugh said. ‘Rex is a guy I love and have a lot of respect for.'”
After cutting his teeth in the college ranks from 1987 to 1999, Ryan got his NFL start with Brian Billick’s Ravens in 1999 as the defensive line coach, helping coach the legendary 2000 defense that won Super Bowl XXXV.
Ryan was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2005 and hung onto the role even after Harbaugh was hired in 2008, earning the title of assistant head coach.
Throughout Ryan’s tenure in Baltimore, the Ravens’ defense never ranked lower than sixth in the league, and it earned him the New York Jets head coaching job in 2009.
Ryan’s Jets are legendary among the fanbase, and to this day, the franchise hasn’t experienced the success of the 2009 and 2010 teams.
It makes sense that Harbaugh considered bringing Ryan along with him to the Giants. He obviously knows the New York market, despite being out of coaching for so long.
Rex Ryan’s Flirtations With an NFL Return
Ryan hasn’t coached in the NFL since being fired by the Buffalo Bills in 2016, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t received interest from around the league, even before Harbaugh considered him with the New York Giants.
In 2023, Ryan was a candidate to join Sean Payton’s Denver Broncos as the defensive coordinator, per ESPN. The job ended up going to Vance Joseph, and Denver’s defense has been dominant since.
The following season, Ryan was under consideration to join Mike McCarthy’s coaching staff with the Dallas Cowboys, replacing Dan Quinn. Josina Anderson broke the news in February 2024.
Most recently, Ryan interviewed with his former team, the New York Jets, per the team website, to be their head coach before they ultimately landed on Aaron Glenn.
Ryan’s pitch likely was based on trying to bring the Jets back to those early 2010s glory days, but the team went in a different direction.
It remains to be seen if or when Ryan will ever return to the NFL coaching ranks, but as of late, it seems he’s genuinely interested.