Ideal Landing Spots for Fired NFL Head Coaches

Rex Ryan – Atlanta Falcons Head Coach

Rex Ryan is the best head coaching candidate on the market, especially for a team in “win now” mode. The Falcons are certainly that on the heels of a disastrous Week 17 collapse that cost the team a playoff spot, and owner Arthur Blank is famously impatient and meddlesome.

Ryan’s tenure ended poorly in New York, with a 4-12 record in his final season, but he has a reputation that is well-earned with developing defensive personnel and that is something that Atlanta desperately needs. The dark cloud over his tenure with the Jets was the lack of a proven commodity at quarterback, and the Falcons happen to possess the most stable situation of any NFL team with a head coaching opening. Combine the defensive needs with that type of firepower, and a quality match is born.

There is a reason that Rex Ryan isn’t a slam dunk in Atlanta, and that is because of the potential working relationship between the coach and owner. However, Ryan was a finalist for the Falcons job in 2008 (prior to taking the Jets gig), and Blank clearly has interest to the point where Atlanta has already begun its due diligence here.

The Falcons want to win now, and Ryan is their best shot.

Next: Mike Smith