The Dallas Cowboys reportedly are in contract negotiations with Rob Ryan to make him their new defensive coordinator. The Cowboys lost Paul Pasqualoni, who was their coordinator after Wade Phillips was canned, to UConn, and need to fill their vacancy. Ryan meanwhile has been in flux since Pat Shurmur took over for Eric Mangini as head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Because of the uncertainty regarding his job status in Cleveland, it’s a wise move for Rob to take a sure job. Thing is, I’m wondering when he’s going to ascend and become a head coach.
It was almost a year ago when Ryan called himself a “great coach” and proclaimed, “I will be a head coach in this league, and I will be damn successful, too.” The man certainly can talk a good game, but no teams have bought it yet. Ryan did interview for the Raiders head coaching position years ago, and he interviewed for the Carolina Panthers head coaching job earlier in January. Unfortunately he was not called back for a second interview and the Carolina job went to Ron Rivera.
Ryan was thought to be a hot head coaching candidate mid-season after his defense helped the Browns knock off the Saints and Patriots in back-to-back weeks. Though Cleveland finished an unremarkable 5-11, Ryan’s defense did play well the entire season except the 40 points they let up to the Steelers in week 17. Going to the Cowboys is a wise move for Rob; though he won’t be replacing Jason Garrett, he should get more interviews if the team has a good year. He already has a high-profile name, and now he’ll be with a high-profile team. It’s a perfect combination to finally ascend.
