Early Tuesday morning, the legendary coach Buddy Ryan passed away.
Buddy Ryan’s contributions to the NFL are still felt decades later after his retirement. The impact that Buddy Ryan had on the NFL will continue to grow even as he has passed away.
Ryan was considered one of the greatest defensive coordinators of all-time. When he coached for the Chicago Bears under head coach Mike Ditka, his defense was considered the greatest defense in the history of the NFL.
During Ryan’s career, he had the opportunity to win two Super Bowl rings while serving as a member of another head coach’s staff. Ryan’s first ring came while he was a member of the 1968 New York Jets, who went on to win Super Bowl III. Ryan’s second Super Bowl ring came in 1985 when he served as the Chicago Bear’s defensive coordinator.
One of @NFL's great defensive minds & characters, Buddy Ryan, has passed away, his agent said. His legacy is as memorable as his expertise
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 28, 2016
Buddy Ryan did more than the Bears' 46, too. He was the Jets' D-line coach whose blitzes turned Earl Morrall out in SBIII. A true innovator.
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) June 28, 2016
Buddy Ryan was football! My prayers go out to the Ryan family!
— Ken Bishop (@sportsguru33) June 28, 2016
A very sad day in the sports world -- great defensive mind, Buddy Ryan passes away. My thoughts with the Ryan family. #ripbuddyryan
— Jeane Coakley (@JeaneCoakley) June 28, 2016
In addition to serving as a defensive coordinator with several teams, Ryan was also the head coach of two teams.
Ryan was first hired to be the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1986. The partnership between Ryan and the Eagles lasted for five seasons, and he was ultimately fired due to his poor record (43–38–1).
The Houston Oilers offered Ryan his next job, this time, a defensive coordinator position. He only spent one season with the team but did such an amazing job that the Arizona Cardinals offered him another shot at being a head coach.
While with the Cardinals, Ryan went 12-20 in two seasons. After his second season with the Cardinals, he was let go.
Ryan never accepted another NFL position after being fired for the second time.
In addition to being a football legend, Ryan also fathered two NFL coaches. The current Buffalo Bills head coach, Rex Ryan, and the Buffalo Bills assistant to the head coach, Rob Ryan.
For more NFL coverage, be sure to visit our hub page.