non-members cant see links.... Ravens' 'Mad Scientist' Rex Ryan could soon be named Jets head coach By RICH CIMINI DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Friday, January 16th 2009, 3:18 AM Strohmeyer/Getty/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images Rex Ryan Related News Articles Now it can be told: Spagnuolo, Woody Johnson met Myers: T.O. would not be good catch for Giants or Jets (Page 1 of 2) OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Rex Ryan's players call him The Mad Scientist, a reverential reference to his creative, blitz-oriented defensive scheme, but as he was racing to BWI Airport last Sunday for his interview with the Jets, Ryan was feeling the pressure instead of applying it. The Ravens' defensive coordinator was late for his meeting with the Jets contingent, which included owner Woody Johnson. It wasn't Ryan's fault - he got held up in an earlier interview with Rams officials - but he still didn't want to taint their first impression of him. "I was going crazy," Ryan told the Daily News Thursday at the Ravens' headquarters, where he was preparing for the AFC Championship Game Sunday against the Steelers. "I was like, 'I can't believe I'm going to have to show up late.' I remember calling my wife as I'm going, panicking, like, 'Golly, the owner's here. Woody Johnson is here. There's no way he's going to still be there when I get to the interview.'" Johnson waited. And now the entire organization appears willing to wait for him. From all indications, the Jets are mad about the Mad Scientist, the odds-on favorite for their head-coaching job. If the Ravens' improbable playoff run ends in Pittsburgh, Ryan could be named next week as Eric Mangini's replacement. By rule, the Jets can't make an offer until the Ravens' season is over. "It was great," Ryan said of his five-hour sitdown with the Jets, which took place in an airport conference room. If Ryan lands the job, it will be the culmination of a lifelong dream. The son of coaching legend Buddy Ryan, a defensive mastermind who popularized the intimidating, pressure-based "46 Defense," Rex grew up in football. He served as a ball boy with the Vikings and Bears (two of his dad's former teams), doodled plays in his notebook during high school English classes and leaped into the coaching profession as soon he graduated from college. "It's like any father-son deal; I inherited my father's business," said Ryan, whose twin brother, Rob, is the Browns' newly hired defensive coordinator under Mangini. "That gave me a leg up on most people. I'm 46 years old, and I've been coaching football or learning about football almost all of my life." Ryan, in the words of former Ravens coach Brian Billick, is "just a ball coach." In other words, he isn't one of those slicked-back, smooth talkers from the corporate coaching factory. Much like his father, Ryan isn't shy about speaking his mind. When a reporter mentioned how the Ravens struggled last week against the Titans' Chris Johnson, who rushed for 72 yards in the first half before leaving with a sprained ankle, Ryan fired back. "I read all the experts say we would've given up 150 yards, but, remember, he never finished the game for some reason," he said, smiling. "Whatever that reason is, they can cry all they want. Who cares? We're here. We're still playing, and they can watch us." The always-guarded Mangini never displayed that kind of bravado. The Ravens love that about Ryan, who is so respected among the players that he earned a spot on the defense's new T-shirts. They are charcoal-gray with "Organized Chaos" emblazoned across the front - a reference to Ryan's unpredictable but often lethal game plans. On the back, there's a list of every player's nickname. The last nickname on the list: The Mad Scientist. "Every week in our meeting, it's like, 'Who are we going to be this week, Mad Scientist?'" said former Giants cornerback Frank Walker, reaching into his locker and unfurling one of the new T-shirts. "It's like he creates us." In four seasons under Ryan, the Ravens' unit has finished no lower than sixth in total defense. He has been blessed with exceptional performers - 11 Pro Bowl selections since 2005 - but the players credit his football acumen and passion for the game as big reasons for the sustained success. Billick recognized that passion some 13 years ago at a football clinic in Toronto, where Ryan addressed about 10 coaches. Billick, who had seen Ryan speak to large groups, was amazed he was able to radiate the same enthusiasm to a tiny group. "Whether it was two coaches or 2,000, his energy, knowledge and enthusiasm for the game were evident," Billick said in a phone interview. Billick never forgot that day. A few years later, in 1999, he hired Ryan to be his defensive line coach. Ryan wasn't forced into coaching. In fact, his father wanted him and Rob to pursue careers in the food-service industry. Finally, Buddy relented. A few days before the twins graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State, Buddy bought an easel, rented a hotel room near their campus and gave them a two-day, crash course on the "46" defense. It was like hearing Einstein explain the Theory of Relativity. "I knew Rex always wanted to coach," Buddy said in a phone interview. "He loved the game, even when he was a ball boy. Most of the ball boys were out there playing (around), but Rex was all business. He was watching great coaches coach." Now the Ravens realize Ryan could be moving on. "He's definitely tradition-oriented and can step in anywhere right now and lead a franchise," safety Ed Reed said. They're happy for him. But they'll miss the madness.
Ed Reed's quote at the end makes me the most excited. A. I respect what Ed Reed has to say. B. Good quote.
we have our own Ed Reed, if Rex does get the job and he builds the type of defense we are looking forward to seeing, KR will be back to the pro bowl player he was a couple of years ago.
Remember when we were excited when Mangini was supposed to have all these great schemes that changed from week to week?
I like what i read about Ryan but we get too giddy w/ each new HC. remember, this is the same guy we will run out of town in 3 years.
I was excited about Mangini as anyone. But, in retrospect, he had only one season under his belt as a DC - and he had only a mediocre defense that season. Rex, on the other hand, has several seasons under his belt leading one of the persistently great defenses of the NFL. Maybe I was just excited because he came from the esteemed belichick coaching tree. Now it looks like that tree is just beli-cheat, himself, with absolutely no other branches (ugh - I hate paying that ass a compliment).
It's not a requirement to be a good DC to be a good HC. There are a million examples of guys who weren't big time coordinators that became good Hcs and another million of excellent coordinators who were flops as HCs. I'm high on Ryan, I'm looking forward to him coming here but nothing is guaranteed.
I think that was fan hype more than anything. In reality, NE's defense under Mangini was pretty mediocre. Ryan has actually fielded top defenses. Though I do agree that we need to cool it down a bit. We are going to raise expecations for Ryan too high and then freak out when we don't get instant results.
The thing is... all those great schemes that changed from week to week... we DID get them. We just stopped getting them after year 1. Mangini could've been a great coach in my mind... but something changed him and turned him into another one of these HC's who lose their sense of aggression and playing to win when they have to run the whole ship themselves. The spotlight does funny things to people.
I dind't get that comment. Who are these "slicked-back, smooth talkers from the corporate coaching factory" exactly? Jeff Fischer? Really? Even if so, who else? p.s. I remember when I was in St. Louis they called Mike Martz the "Mad Scientist" too. I really hope that if he does land here, that nickname does not come along with him, it always annoyed me.
I think early success had alot to do with that. He seemed to reach a pinnacle and not want to gamble or seem to be gambling in case his 'status' changed for the worse. Ironically I think that had Mangini stayed with us , next season would have seen alot of huge changes in playing style , and see him revert back to what he was doing.
I think that Ryan will get a 1st year pass at the least from everyone. If the team shows no major regression over the first 2 years, then I think Ryan will be given more license to do more with the personnel as time goes by. Just like us fans, I'd like to think what the FO is looking for is progress. Even in small increments. Ryan turns this defense around in year 1? He's golden the rest of the way.
