By HCR Staff | Nov. 29, 2019
The Dallas Cowboys are in danger of missing the playoffs, and owner Jerry Jones already has expressed his frustration publicly. After a brutal Thanksgiving Day home loss to the Buffalo Bills, the speculation about head coach Jason Garrett’s future will grow. If Jones decides to make a change, who would be the best fit for his organization at this time?
Our suggestion: Rex Ryan.
As we started to think about a potential list of candidates, Ryan jumps out at us because he checks a lot of important boxes.
First, Ryan has a lot of experience. He’s had two stints as a head coach, both in difficult circumstances, and in one of them, went to back-to-back AFC championship games. That shouldn’t be underrated as he was competing against Bill Belichick in the same division.
Second, when Ryan was head coach of the Bills and the Jets, he also had to bear the responsibility of bringing excitement to moribund franchises. That takes a lot of energy, and we suspect that it affected his performance. If Ryan were head coach of the Cowboys, he wouldn’t have this type of responsibility. The Cowboys already enjoy tremendous support, and owner Jerry Jones can bring much of the off-field excitement.
Third, Ryan will bring a distinctive brand of football. His team is going to be physically tough, and as a tactician, he was underrated–he was a solid in-game strategist. These are the attributes the Cowboys desperately need right now.
Fourth, Ryan’s personality would fit with Jones. Both are larger than life personalities, and if there is one person who would not cower in Jones’s spotlight, it’s Rex Ryan.
One issue that would have to be dealt with is the fact that the Cowboys are built in a different style, defensively, than what Ryan is accustomed to.
It appears Ryan still has the passion for coaching, and like Jon Gruden, the years away from coaching may serve him well. He’s a candidate that would not have a learning curve, and the Cowboys are built to win now.
The potential head coaching pool is shallow at the moment, and it’ll be veteran coaches like Ryan that will generate second and third looks.
