Rex Ryan Reportedly Eyeing College Football Opening at Maryland
The former NFL coach is showing interest in the vacant head coaching position at the University of Maryland, according to reports.
Rex Ryan, the former head coach of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, is reportedly expressing interest in the recently opened head coaching position at the University of Maryland. The ESPN analyst has been putting out feelers for the Terrapins' job, according to Jeff Ermann of 247 Sports.
Maryland's coaching vacancy arose after the team fired head coach Mike Locksley, who had been with the program for nine seasons. Locksley's dismissal followed a 37-30 home loss to Rutgers, which extended the Terrapins' losing streak in Big Ten play to 12 games. Maryland currently has an interim head coach, Azaar Abdul-Rahim.
Ryan, 63, has not coached since his dismissal by the Bills in 2016. His NFL head coaching career yielded a 61-66 overall record, including two AFC Championship appearances with the Jets in his first two seasons. He previously spoke with Giants coach John Harbaugh about a potential defensive coordinator role last offseason. Ryan's last college coaching experience was as defensive coordinator at Oklahoma in 1998.
The former Jets coach spent 10 years in the Baltimore area as a position coach and defensive coordinator for the Ravens, giving him familiarity with the region. His potential hiring has been described as capable of generating "Deion-level buzz with actual coaching ability behind it," according to Ermann, potentially attracting significant media attention and aiding in recruiting.
Maryland is exploring several candidates for the head coaching role. Other names mentioned include former LSU coach Brian Kelly, Memphis coach Charles Huff, New Mexico coach Jason Eck, and Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert. Ryan would join a growing list of former NFL head coaches now in the college ranks, such as Bill Belichick, Bill O’Brien, and Matt Rhule.