After stepping away from coaching for over six years, Rex Ryan may be heading back to the sidelines next season. Per Adam Schefter, he interviewed for the Broncos’ defensive coordinator opening yesterday. Ryan is currently an analyst at ESPN and last coached the Buffalo Bills before being fired in 2016. Prior to that, he was the head coach for the New York Jets and defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens.
Ryan is the favorite to win the job, according to Ian Rappaport. However, he is not the only man in the running. Former Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph interviewed for over eight hours yesterday as well. Joseph most recently was the defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals after the Broncos fired him in 2018. Prior to his stint with Denver, Joseph was the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins.
Who Will Sean Payton Hire?
Sean Payton’s search for a defensive coordinator is one of his first big decisions since becoming the head coach of the Broncos. Ryan is the obvious candidate for Payton, as he led four top-ten defenses in Baltimore and five top-ten defenses in New York, while Joseph has had considerably less success. It is true, however, that those teams had elite talent. Ryan got the privilege to coach multiple current or future Hall-of-Famers during his time with those two teams.
Both coaches run similar attack 3-4 defensive schemes. Joseph may not have the results that Ryan has, but has a reputation around the league as a great leader that players look up to. Furthermore, Payton also tried to sign Vic Fangio, another former Broncos head coach, before he chose to go to the Dolphins. It is possible that Payton wants to sign a former Broncos coach that is familiar with the team and other staff members, which would give Joseph a leg up on Ryan.
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