Although it took him a lot longer than five minutes, Rob Ryan indeed landed another job in the NFL.
However, he’s still taken aback by his previous employer’s pink slip.
The Saints’ new defensive coordinator admitted that he was “a little shocked” about his firing by the Cowboys.
“Oh yeah, look, I was a little shocked,” Ryan said, via ESPNDallas.com. “I knew they had to do something after an 8-8 season. They choose me to be the guy, sure.”
Coming off a disappointing 2012 campaign, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones abruptly reshuffled the coaching staff. While head coach Jason Garrett was retained, Ryan fell victim to the chopping block.
Scapegoated, if you will.
“Better coaches, than me have been fired,” Ryan said. “Just not many.”
Dallas’ defense finished 19th in overall defeat, but suffered season-ending injuries to key starters (Sean Lee) and saw its elite playmakers (DeMarcus Ware) hampered by various maladies.
On the surface, Ryan holds Big D no ill will.
“I’m going to miss the players, they gave me great effort and they played hard,” Ryan said. “It’s unfortunate we got a little banged up, but I appreciate the great effort they gave me for two years. [I] loved working with Jason and those guys. I wish them the best except against us.”
Ryan, like his twin brother in New York, isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. His brash personality is cause for praise when his team is winning, but is a topic for scrutiny when things go sour. Regardless, he’s proven to be a respectable defensive coach, able to get the most out of his units. A change of scenery could be what he desperately needed.
(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
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You have to be kidding me. For one thing, he had to be the most overrated coach in the NFL. Every game the Cowboys were in, the cameras were on him like he was the head coach… which futher showed how inept his defenses were. I can’t count how many times the defense was handed a lead and lost it through either ineptness or ridiculous penalties. Sorry, Rob, and the Saints will be very unhappy with you, too!