Rob Ryan

Coaching Record

Years Coached Record Win % Playoff record Playoff win %
23 151-214-0 41.37% 7-1 87.50%

Biography

Career Summary

Rob Ryan is a football coach in the National Football League (NFL) and has been the senior defensive assistant coach for the Las Vegas Raiders since 2022. During this time period, the Raiders compiled a 14-20-0 record. Ryan will be the new senior defensive assistant coach for the Las Vegas Raiders for the 2024 season.

Personal Information

Ryan was born on Thursday, December 13, 1962 in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Rex and Rob Ryan both graduated from Southwest college Oklahoma State before embarking on their own respective coaching careers. Rob and his wife Kristen have three children.

Table of Contents

Playing Career

Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Rob Ryan went to Southwestern Oklahoma State University where he and his brother Rex played defensive ends.

Coaching Career

College Coaching

Western Kentucky University

In 1987 while working on his post graduate degree he was hired on by WKU to become their new graduate assistant under Dave Roberts. This season, the Hilltoppers finished 7-4 and lost their opening playoff game to Eastern Kentucky.

Ohio State University

In 1988 Rob was hired by Ohio State as a graduate assistant while he finished up his master’s degree in Sports Management. During his year with the team their record went 5-6-1 for the season. It was the school's first losing season in more than twenty years.

Tennessee State University

After Ohio State, Ryan received his first full-time coaching position from Tennessee State University. From 1989 through 1991 he coached the running backs for Tennessee State. These three seasons would be the only official coaching on the offense side of the ball in his career. After working with the running backs, he moved on to the linebackers coach in 1992 and finally the defensive line in 1993.

First Foray into the NFL

Arizona Cardinals

In 1994 he began his first stint coaching in the NFL for the Arizona Cardinals during their first season under the new name (previously the Phoenix Cardinals), where his focus was entirely on the defensive backs. Right alongside his brother who was the defensive line/linebackers coach – the duo made their first NFL coaching appearance together under their father Buddy Ryan. The Cardinals ranked second in the NFL total defense, second in run defense and third in pass defense while he was a part of their coaching staff, and even gained cornerback Aeneas Williams two trips to the Pro Bowl.

Return to College

Hutchinson Community College

After a difficult season with Arizona in 1995, Ryan returned to the college ranks. His very first defensive coordinator position came with Hutchinson Community. Under his defensive tutelage they led the nation in defense with 228 yards per game and in sacks with 56. His defensive team also set the national record for forced turnovers with 49.

Oklahoma State

In 1997 he moved up from community college to Division I and coached as the defensive coordinator for Oklahoma State where he was named coordinator of the year by The Sporting News. He stayed in the college coaching scene for another two years afterwards before making his second appearance in the NFL.

Return to the NFL

New England Patriots

From 2000 up until 2003 he was hired on to be the linebackers coach by the New England Patriots. While working for the Patriots his unit contributed to one of the best scoring defenses in franchise history in 2001, and in 2003 the Patriots ranked first in the NFL for fewest points allowed. Partly because of the phenomenal defense the Patriots produced Pro Bowlers Tedy Bruschi and Willie McGinest. During his time with the Patriots, he would help win two Super Bowls (2001, 2003)

Oakland Raiders

For the next four years and beginning in 2004, he worked as the Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator. In 2006, thanks to his coaching tactics, the Raiders ranked third in yards allowed per game. However, the team as a whole struggled and never won more than five games while he was there.

Cleveland Browns

From 2009 through 2010 he was appointed to be the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns under former head coach Eric Mangini. In his first three games with them, the team did not allow a single touchdown per game, the highest number of games not allowing a touchdown in a row since the Browns 2003 season.

Dallas Cowboys

In 2011 the Dallas Cowboys hired him on as their new defensive coordinator until his dismissal in early 2013. During his time here the Cowboys ranked 14th in yards allowed per game and 16th in points allowed per game in 2011 and 14th in yards allowed per game and 23rd in points allowed per game in 2012. After the 2012 season, Ryan was fired from the Cowboys.

New Orleans Saints

For the 2013 season, Ryan was hired by the New Orleans Saints as their defensive coordinator in January of 2013. During his initial time there he swapped the 4-3 defense for the 3-4 defensive scheme. During his time with the Saints they have gone from one of the worst defenses of all time to fourth in the NFL, an accomplishment on its own in 2013.

After poor defensive performances in 2014 and 2015, Ryan was fired by the Saints after a week 10 loss (and a 4-6 record). Ryan was replaced by the senior defensive assistant coach Dennis Allen.


History

Year Position Record Playoff record
2023 Las Vegas Raiders Senior Defensive Assistant Coach 8-9-0 0-0
2022 Las Vegas Raiders Senior Defensive Assistant Coach 6-11-0 0-0
2021 Baltimore Ravens Inside Linebackers Coach 8-9-0 0-0
2019 Washington Redskins Inside Linebackers Coach 3-13-0 0-0
2016 Buffalo Bills Assistant Head Coach-Defense 7-9-0 0-0
2015 New Orleans Saints Defensive Coordinator 4-6-0 0-0
2014 New Orleans Saints Defensive Coordinator 7-9-0 0-0
2013 New Orleans Saints Defensive Coordinator 11-5-0 1-1
2012 Dallas Cowboys Defensive Coordinator 8-8-0 0-0
2011 Dallas Cowboys Defensive Coordinator 8-8-0 0-0
2010 Cleveland Browns Defensive Coordinator 5-11-0 0-0
2009 Cleveland Browns Defensive Coordinator 5-11-0 0-0
2008 Oakland Raiders Defensive Coordinator 5-11-0 0-0
2007 Oakland Raiders Defensive Coordinator 4-12-0 0-0
2006 Oakland Raiders Defensive Coordinator 2-14-0 0-0
2005 Oakland Raiders Defensive Coordinator 4-12-0 0-0
2004 Oakland Raiders Defensive Coordinator 5-11-0 0-0
2003 New England Patriots Linebackers Coach / Outside Linebackers Coach 14-2-0 3-0
2002 New England Patriots Linebackers Coach / Outside Linebackers Coach 9-7-0 0-0
2001 New England Patriots Linebackers Coach / Outside Linebackers Coach 11-5-0 3-0
2000 New England Patriots Linebackers Coach 5-11-0 0-0
1999 Oklahoma State Cowboys Defensive Coordinator 5-6-0
1998 Oklahoma State Cowboys Defensive Coordinator 5-6-0
1997 Oklahoma State Cowboys Defensive Coordinator 8-4-0
1995 Arizona Cardinals Defensive Backs Coach 4-12-0 0-0
1994 Arizona Cardinals Defensive Backs Coach 8-8-0 0-0
1988 Ohio State Buckeyes Graduate Assistant 4-6-1

Coach history guide

Seasons with a championship win Seasons with a conference championship

Coach facts

  1. His father (Buddy Ryan) and twin brother (Rex Ryan) were NFL head coaches.
  2. All three coached together with the Arizona Cardinals in 1994 and 1995.