The last time the New York Jets won a playoff game, Rex Ryan was the organization’s head coach. That was back in 2011.
Ryan last coached in the NFL in 2016, when he was with the Buffalo Bills. Since then, he’s worked as an ESPN analyst, while Stephen A. Smith has become one of his colleagues at the network. On Monday, Smith suggested Ryan for a coaching job during the latest episode of First Take.
Smith Calls for Ryan to Take Over NFL Job
During a rant about the Dallas Cowboys, who somehow blew a double-digit second-half lead against the Arizona Cardinals before losing in overtime, Smith called for owner Jerry Jones to make a change and hire Ryan as the teams defensive coordinator.
Smith claimed Ryan could have the team better prepared with just four days’ notice than current head coach Brian Schottenheimer has had them all season. The Cowboys currently sit at 3-5 overall.
“You’re a damn head football coach in the national football league. There’s 32 jobs. That’s America’s team, right? One of, if not the most prestigious jobs clearly in all of sports considering the value of this franchise. You’re the head coach of it. You were a coordinator who wasn’t even calling plays. And you got the head coaching job when nobody else was looking to hire you as a head coach and Jerry Jones put you in that position and you’re under .500 and calling yourself a great coach,” Smith harshly said on Monday.
“That’s the damn problem. That’s why you need someone like Rex Ryan coming in there… give them an attitude. You need somebody like Rex Ryan. If I’m Jerry Jones I call ESPN right now trying to pluck Rex Ryan from this job to get him on the sideline this damn weekend. I promise you with four days preparation that man would do a better job than what we’ve from the Dallas Cowboys doing all season long. I’d bet my check on it.”
Stephen A. Smith: “If I’m Jerry Jones, I call ESPN right now trying to pluck Rex Ryan from this job…with four days preparation, that man will do a better job.”
Michael Irvin: “My dead mom can coach them better” https://t.co/eoeJSMkGUh
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 2, 2026
Does Ryan Want to Coach Again?
The Cowboys could potentially make a midseason change to their coaching staff, but it’s unclear whether Ryan would be interested in taking a coordinator job. He has, however, shown interest in returning to the NFL as a head coach.
Before the Jets hired Aaron Glenn last season, Ryan was among the candidates interviewed for the vacancy. He was hoping to make an NFL comeback after previously spending six seasons as the organization’s head coach.
Rumors have also surfaced that Ryan has “put out feelers” for the newly vacant Maryland head coaching job. He has seemingly shown interest in coaching at the collegiate level if he can’t land an NFL gig.
Stephen A. Smith Urges Struggling NFL Team to Hire Former Jets Coach Rex Ryan