New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh sparked interest when he was asked in an interview with WFAN radio after his introductory press conference on Tuesday about the potential hiring of former Jets head coach Rex Ryan as defensive coordinator.
“Why not? Can you imagine Rex back here? I’m not ruling anything out,” Harbaugh said. “A guy like Rex — he’s in the game; he understands the game. He’s got to make some updates on some of the scheme stuff, but I’ll tell you, nobody has a better game than Rex Ryan.”
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When asked if Ryan still wanted to coach, Harbaugh responded: “I don’t know. We’ve got to call him.”
NFL insider Gary Myers also suggested Ryan could be a target on Harbaugh’s staff.
The proposal is historic. During Ryan’s tenure with the Jets, he was a polarizing rival to the Giants, famously declaring that he didn’t come to New York “to be anybody’s little brother” and firing then-Giants coach Tom Coughlin. Public conflicts, including with running back Brandon Jacobs, cemented his status as a villain among Giants fans.
Ryan has not coached since 2016. But recently, he added an unexpected layer to the speculation by praising Harbaugh’s Giants as a playoff-caliber team.
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This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants’ John Harbaugh floats idea of naming Rex Ryan for D.C. job
