'I’m An Upgrade!' Rex Ryan on Super Bowl Reason He Wanted Dallas Cowboys Job
FRISCO - Former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has moved on to be the head coach of the division rival Washington Commanders. It makes for an interesting setup for the next few years because of the familiarity between Quinn and his former team.
To replace Quinn, Dallas sought out a veteran presence from a coaching standpoint, conducting interviews with former Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and an ex-head coach in Rex Ryan.
Indeed, as head coach Mike McCarthy noted at the Wednesday press conference announcing the Zimmer hire, “There’s a lot of things that went into this hiring process ... We wanted to go through a thorough process, and that led to us to hiring Mike” Zimmer.”.
Ultimately, the Cowboys are justified in going with Zimmer, who spent 13 seasons in Dallas from 1994 through 2006 including is final six seasons as defensive coordinator.
But Ryan disagrees with Dallas' decision - and maybe the reason is how tantalizing he found it to envision himself in charge.
“I think with this roster … the way it is. I think offensively, special teams, and defense … I figured I could make maybe even a little bit of an upgrade,” Ryan said. “... That they could be right here [at the Super Bowl]. That’s why I was interested.”
Ryan further expressed an interest to return to coaching after seven seasons as a studio analyst for ESPN.
“I’ve been out for seven years. I’ve never called another head coach or anything like that. I called Mike McCarthy,” Ryan said. “And the reason I did is because I want to be on this stage. I want to be back on this stage if I’m going to get back into coaching.”
The appeal of coaching the Cowboys is undeniable - even as a coordinator. It's the biggest stage with the most popular team in the most popular league. And with a roster chock-full of talent, even a former head coach who's been out of the league for almost a decade can see the appeal.
But it's Zimmer, not Ryan, who now gets a chance to reap its rewards.
