Like Father, Like Sons

Buddy Ryan, one of the most beloved coaches of his time, was never a big fan of the Dallas Cowboys and feuded with them for years when he was coaching the Eagles.  Now that he is retired, Ryan finds himself in an unfamiliar position having to root for Dallas because his son, Rob, is now their defensive coordinator.  Ryan always embraced controversy and earned a reputation for his ability to get the most out of his players and developed defensive schemes to confuse the opponent’s offense.  His defensive strategy has been handed down to his sons and they have become among the best defensive minds in the game.  As head coach of the Jets, Rex has been able to achieve success with what his father taught him, and Buddy anticipates Rob will do the same as defensive coordinator with the Cowboys. Buddy Ryan joined ESPN Radio in Dallas to talk about if he finds it ironic that his son Rob is now the defensive coordinator of the Cowboys, if Rob’s defense can be as good as Rex’s, and what the biggest difference is between Rob and Rex.

If he finds it ironic that his son, Rob, is now the defensive coordinator of the Cowboys:

“Well let’s get it straight, he will do a great job for them.  He had quite a lot of opportunities and he chose the Cowboys and he is very happy there.”

Whether he still hates the Cowboys:

“I have always been a Jets fan.  I have had my first job that is kind of like your first girlfriend.  You know you never forget about them I guess… No, I was only a fan of people I worked for.  The Chicago Bears, the New York Jets, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Arizona Cardinals…”

If Rob’s defense can be as good as Rex’s:

“They are their own best friend.  They are both very similar.  When you are around them you don’t know which one you are talking to.  They look so much alike.”

Whether Rob is a no nonsense type of guy that wont coddle his players:

“He and Rex both get the best out of their players and he will do the same thing.  Whether it takes an ass-kicking, a kiss or whatever, they get the most out of their players and they do a great job of that.”

What the biggest difference is between Rob and Rex Ryan:

“Well they are really, I don’t know.  I don’t think there is any difference.  They have been together coaching Sunday, and you move about how many every four to eight years and take your own best friend with you, and they both always wanted to be coaches, they have both done an excellent job coordinating where ever they have been in college and pro, and I was hoping Rob would get a head job this year but he did not make it.”

If Rob is as aggressive in going after the quarterback like his 46 defense:

“It depends on how much they come after them as it depends on how they are going to block it.  In other words, you don’t blitz the quarterback, you blitz their scheme, their pickup scheme that way you have a free rusher on the quarterback if you have done a good job of breaking down their protection.”

What he thought about the way the Jets defense played against the Patriots:

“Oh yeah, well that was the best defensive game that I have seen in a long time, probably the best one I have ever seen.  He did a great job.”