Rob Ryan “Top Choice” To Be Hired as New Orleans Saints Defensive Coordinator

Rob Ryan has essentially made a joke out of himself, as the running punchline with him is how it’s been longer than five minutes that he’s been out of work in the NFL. Yet, while he’s still jobless, for the second time this offseason he’s close to being employed by a respectable franchise. The New Orleans Saints are still searching for a defensive coordinator after firing Steve Spagnuolo late last month and have reportedly made Ryan a finalist for the job.

As reported last week by numerous outlets, Romeo Crennel is a top choice as well to take over the Saints 3-4 defense this upcoming season. One thing that kept Ryan from being hired in St. Louis was that he runs a 3-4 defense and the Rams has a 4-3 scheme that they’re unwilling to change.

In New Orleans, that’s not an issue and Ryan would fit right in with the attitude of the defense. Jonathan Vilma and Rob Ryan running the same defense is something not many people would look forward to preparing for.

Of course, anytime Ryan’s name surfaces in connection to a job, people are going to question it. Twice in January it was ‘reported’ that Ryan was going to join Jeff Fisher’s staff in St. Louis but both times those reports ended up being erroneous as Ryan is still out of a job and the are batting their eyes are former Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Dick Jauron.

Ryan fits New Orleans in more than one way, and success there could fast track him to a head coaching job in the next few years. Many thought that Steve Spagnuolo would be able to get his career back on track with a successful year in New Orleans but due to bounty-gate putting a damper on the Saints talents in 2012, Spagnuolo was yet again a scapegoat for a disappointing year.

The Saints haven’t yet come to a decision, but the announcement could incidentally be coincided with the announcement of Gregg Williams’ reinstatement.