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Current ESPN NFL analyst and former New York Jets and Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan is interviewing to be the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys, according to reports.
According to CBS Sports reporter Josina Anderson, sources say that the 61-year-old Ryan interviewed for the position, which was vacated by Dan Quinn after he took the Washington Commanders head coaching job.
New: I'm told former #Jets and #Bills head coach Rex Ryan interviewed for the #Cowboys vacant defensive coordinator job, per sources. pic.twitter.com/EOMjnpKvnT
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) February 7, 2024
Ryan was last in the National Football League back in 2016 when he was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills.
During his six seasons as Jets head coach and three seasons as Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator, Ryan established himself as one of the most well-respected defensive minds in the league in addition to being virtually unanimously well-liked by his players.
Ryan is perhaps best known for bringing the New York Jets the most success they’ve seen during the 21st century as he took the team, quarterbacked by Mark Sanchez, to consecutive AFC Championship games in 2009 and 2010. The 2010 season is the last time that the Jets reached the playoffs, in fact.
The 2023/24 season was much of the same for the Dallas Cowboys, who finished the season with a 12-5 record but got dumped out of the postseason in the first round of the playoffs by the Green Bay Packers.
Not only did the Cowboys lose to the Packers in the Wild Card round but they got blown out as they gave up 48 points.
It’s certainly understandable why being the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator could coax Ryan back into the NFL as that side of the ball is full of talent, with players such as Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland, DeMarcus Lawrence, and more.