Rex Ryan didn?t expect to be in Baltimore this season.
The Ravens defensive coordinator believed this would be the year he would finally get his chance to follow in the footsteps of his father, Buddy, and become a head coach in the National Football League.
Rex Ryan interviewed for openings in Atlanta and Miami and even with the Ravens after they fired head coach Brain Billick and his staff, including him.
But each team went in another direction, leaving Ryan to ponder his future after spending the past nine seasons with the Ravens, the last three guiding a unit that ranked sixth in total defense (301.6 yards per game).
But Ryan holds no animosity after Atlanta hired Mike Smith, Miami named Tony Sparano and the Ravens signed John Harbaugh. All three, however, do not have a resume that is superior to Ryan?s.
“I feel good about it,” Ryan said. “People in the league know enough about me to give me an opportunity and hopefully, one day I?ll land one. If not, it?s not the end of the world. My kids have grown up here the last 10 years. It would be great for them to be able to go all the way through school like a normal family.”
That opportunity became more of a reality for Ryan, 46, in January when Harbaugh hired him as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. Ryan, who is the only defensive coach remaining from the Ravens? squad that won Super Bowl XXXV, has no problem working for the man who has the job he coveted.
“The tough thing is to start a tradition and make a tradition,” he said. “But we?ve been successful in keeping this thing going for 10 years. We?ve replaced the man at the top, but [Harbaugh] understands defense and the value of that better than anybody. He?s not trying to come in and change this defense. He has brought in different perspectives and that is good. We like the direction that this defense and the entire team is going.”
Ryan and Harbaugh are not strangers, as they coached together at the University of Cincinnati in 1996.
“The relationship on the coaching staff side couldn?t be any better because the chemistry is right and the fit is right,” Harbaugh said.
Ryan said a key to consistently fielding one of the top defenses in the NFL is the ability to constantly find qualityplayers from first-round picks like Ray Lewis to undrafted free agents like Bart Scott.
Rookie safety Haruki Nakamura hopes to be part of the next class to thrive under Ryan.
“Defense is defense, but Rex is so creative,” Nakamura said. “He does some things that are a lot different than any other scheme, which is unique, but very likable to learn.”
