‘Tis the season to gain head coaching employment in the NFL and with the 11-5 regular season finish and the Ravens headed back to the playoffs in Miami this weekend, it’s not a shocker that defensive coordinator has received permission to interview for the head coaching position with the New York Jets.
As first reported by the AP, Ryan is expected to interview for the job in New York at some point in the near future. Earlier this week, NFL.com’s Adam Schefter reported that Ryan would be a lead candidate in St. Louis, once the Rams fire interim head coach Jim Haslett who replaced Scott Linehan in midseason.
Ryan, along with tight ends coach Wade Harmon, were original hires of Brian Billick when he took over the head coaching job in January 1999. It’s very unusual to allow an existing assistant to interview during the week of a game but perhaps Ryan will have time to interview after the Ravens victory in Miami on Sunday.
Many times “deals” are cut to wait for specific coordinators, as was the case when the Ravens waited three weeks to interview Brian Billick after his Vikings lost in the NFC Championship Game. Last year Ryan interviewed in Atlanta and Miami before eventually returning under contract to continue as the Ravens defensive coordinator under John Harbaugh.
Several coordinators including Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz both have the week off during their team’s respective byes and are expected to see a few interviews this week.
We’ll continue to monitor the coaching carousel as the month plays out.
