Ryan is the son of former head coach Buddy Ryan and is the fraternal twin brother of Rob Ryan. From a young age, Ryan aspired to follow in his father\'s footsteps and become a professional football coach. After spending the majority of his youth in Canada, Ryan returned to the United States as a teenager where he attended college at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Upon graduating, Ryan spent the next 22 years serving as an assistant coach on different teams at both the college and professional level.\n', '

At the behest of their head coach Brian Billick, Ryan joined the Baltimore Ravens in 1999 and spent nine years there. In 2005, he became the defensive coordinator, and later was promoted to be the team\'s assistant head coach in 2008. Ryan later accepted a contract offer from the Jets for their vacant head coaching position for the 2009 season. During his tenure, Ryan became well known throughout the league for his outspoken manner, boisterous attitude, and initial success with the Jets. In his first two seasons as the Jets\' head coach, he led the team to back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances. Ryan\'s subsequent tenure was a period of struggles, as the Jets were unable to finish with a record above a .500 winning percentage. After a career worst 4–12 record at the conclusion of the 2014 season, Ryan was fired as the team\'s head coach. Shortly after his firing from the Jets, Ryan was hired to be the Bills\' head coach, where he lasted two years with the team before being fired at the end of the 2016 season.\n', '

Rex Ryan and his fraternal twin, Rob, were born in Ardmore, Oklahoma, on December 13, 1962, to Doris and Buddy Ryan. When the boys were aged two, their parents amicably divorced. Following the divorce, their mother attended the University of Chicago to earn her doctorate. Rex, Rob, and their older brother Jim moved with her to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where she secured an administrative position at the University of Toronto. During the course of his upbringing, Rex wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, a defensive pioneer in the NFL known for developing the 46 defense, and by the age of six, Rex and Rob knew they wanted to pursue coaching careers.\n', '

Return to Rex Ryan Autograph Profile