Although he had a few minor disagreements with New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton last year, Rob Ryan is still considered by many to be one of the better defensive coordinators in the NFL. According to his brother Rex, the only thing stopping Rob from landing a head coaching job is his appearance.
While speaking to reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Arizona on Tuesday, Rex poked fun at his twin brother for his long hair and husky stature. Here’s what he said when asked if Rob has what it takes to be a head coach.
“Absolutely. So much so that he believes in himself so much he won’t get a haircut and keeps that belly the way it is,” Rex said, via Nick Underhill of The Advocate. “He’s darned determined to show the league that ‘I’m going to be a head coach and do it my way.’ No you’re not. It’s unfortunate. I’m still trying to get that message across to him.”
Rex was probably joking, but not really. A report last offseason indicated that various NFL executives would like to see Rob at least cut his hair before he gets head coaching consideration. Payton doesn’t care how he looks, as long as they can avoid heated exchanges like this with their revamped defense in 2015.
With the way NFL head coaching jobs turn over these days, I see no reason Rob Ryan hasn’t earned a shot. Do his long flowing locks really make that much of a difference?
