Buddy Ryan, former Eagles head coach, dies at 82

Former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan passed away today on Tuesday, June 28, according to his agent. The Frederick, Oklahoma native was 82 years old.

Ryan coached in the NFL for 35 years. Over that time he became known as one of the best defensive minds to ever coach in the league. Ryan was the defensive coordinator of what's known to be the greatest defense of all time: the 1985 Bears.

It was Ryan's work with Chicago that led the Eagles to hire him in 1986. Ryan coached in Philadelphia for four years before being fired in 1991. The Eagles went 43–38–1 in the regular season and 0-3 in the playoffs during his tenure.

Although Ryan wasn't the most successful coach in Eagles history, he remains admired by the fans. His tough, no non-sense, physical, hard-hitting defense was especially appreciated by the blue-collar nature of the Philadelphia faithful. His brash personality was nothing short of entertaining.

Ryan was responsible for a number of famous moments in Eagles history, such as the "Bounty Bowl" games where he allegedly rewarded his players for injuring their opponents. He also had quarterback Randall Cunningham once fake a kneel late in a game in order to run up the score on the Dallas Cowboys. Ryan was no stranger to controversy.

Today is a sad day. RIP Buddy.