Former Clemson Tiger Takes on NFL Coordinator Role

While the Clemson Tigers have been busy filling holes in their coaching staff following a mass departure at season's end, a former player of the program is slowly building his own impressive coaching resume.

On Saturday, ESPN's Rich Cimini reported that Clemson alumnus Seth Ryan was hired as the New York Jets' passing-game coordinator in place of Scott Turner, who was fired by head coach Aaron Glenn recently.

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Seth Ryan has been hired as the Jets’ passing-game coordinator, per source. Ryan, 31, becomes the third generation in his family to coach for the #Jets.

He’s the son of former HC Rex Ryan, whose father, the legendary Buddy Ryan, was the defensive-line coach on…
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) February 7, 2026

But, before he dove headfirst into coaching, his stomping grounds remained in Death Valley.

Ryan played for the Tigers from 2013 to 2016, earning a national championship ring as a senior.

For the first three years of his career, he maintained a walk-on status while primarily being utilized as a placeholder on special teams, though he did get some reps at wide receiver.

Entering his final year, Ryan was placed on scholarship and saw career-high production at wideout, catching four passes for 39 yards — bringing his career statistics to five receptions for 49 yards.

After living out a dream of playing Division I football and winning a national championship, he turned his focus to making his mark in the coaching industry, just as his father and grandfather did.

Seth's father, Rex Ryan, now an analyst with ESPN, spent nearly three decades in coaching, working his way up from a collegiate graduate assistant to a seven-year NFL head coach. Over the course of his career, he was part of a Super Bowl victory and earned NFL Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 2006 while serving as the Baltimore Ravens' defensive coordinator.

His grandfather, Buddy Ryan, carved out a similarly influential career, spending nearly 30 years in the NFL and winning two Super Bowls, including one as an assistant coach in the league's earliest championship era.

Surrounded by decades of football knowledge, Seth Ryan grew up immersed in the game, but his coaching career has been shaped by his own work, gaining valuable experience as a player-coach during his time at Clemson.

That experience opened the door in 2019, when he joined Anthony Lynn, then the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, as an offensive quality control coach.

Following a disappointing 2020 campaign, Lynn was dismissed from his role and joined the Detroit Lions as their offensive coordinator ahead of the 2021 season, where Ryan followed, earning a job as the assistant wide receivers coach.

He spent three years in the role, assisting in the development of standout receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, before pivoting to an assistant tight ends coach position in 2025, where he helped Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright combine for 54 receptions, 597 receiving yards and five touchdowns.