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The Cowboys announced yesterday that they fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan after 2 seasons. As is the case when most guys are let go, there's at least been a discussion among Eagles fans about whether he would be a fit here?
He wouldn't be a fit here. This is not because he has a background in the 3-4 and the Eagles are set up to run a 4-3... no he wouldn't be a fit here for the same reason he wouldn't be a fit anywhere. He's not a particularly good coach.
Rob Ryan is the fraternal twin of Rex Ryan and the son of Buddy Ryan. The latter two are actually good defensive coaches with long track records of success. Rob got the Ryan name and the Ryan flair for the dramatic, but doesn't seem have to gotten the Ryan knack for defensive know-how.
However, probably because of his name and the fact that he's shown on TV gesturing wildly and cursing up a storm, there's a perception that Rob is actually a good coach. In reality, a quick look at his resume will clear that up. He has been the defensive coordinator for 3 NFL teams over the 9 seasons. Here is how his defenses have performed.
| Rob Ryan's defensive track record | ||
| Year | NFL rank (yardage) | NFL rank (points) |
| Cowboys 2012 | 24 | 19 |
| Cowboys 2011 | 16 | 14 |
| Browns 2010 | 22 | 13 |
| Browns 2009 | 31 | 21 |
| Browns 2008 | 26 | 16 |
| Raiders 2007 | 22 | 26 |
| Raiders 2006 | 3 | 18 |
| Raiders 2005 | 27 | 25 |
| Raiders 2004 | 30 | 31 |
| Average | 22 | 20 |
One thing to note here is that immediately after Ryan left Cleveland, the Browns defense improved to 5th points against and 10th in yards against.
On average, Ryan has performed at a below average level as a defensive coordinator. I've heard Cowboys fans make excuses for his 2012 performance because he had a lot injuries... That may be true, but what are the excuses for the other 8 seasons? And as Jimmy so astutely points out in his post on Rob's firing from Dallas, his defense plays dumb. His defense committed 9 personal fouls over the course of the final 7 games. Evidently his "fiery" demeanor doesn't translate to his team playing disciplined football.
Other than one seemingly flukey year in Oakland, he's never even managed a top 15 defense. You know what else Rob hasn't done? Jimmy?
In his 9 years as a defensive coordinator, none of Rob Ryan's teams have ever had a winning record.
— Jimmy Kempski (@Jimmy_Beast) January 9, 2013
And the best thing about Rob is how awesome he think he is despite all these bad defenses and losing that he's been a part of. When reached for comment about his dismissal yesterday, he told ESPN,
"I'll be out of work for like 5 minutes."
So now and in the future, if you ever hear or read someone advocating that Rob Ryan should come to the Eagles or any other franchise because he's a "good" defensive coordinator... Just show them this article.