The Buffalo Bills fired head coach Rex Ryan and his brother Rob today. Offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn was named the interim coach.
The Buffalo Bills had to fire Rex Ryan. They had no choice given the direction the organization was heading in. Ryan’s act got old and Bills owner Terry Pegula had seen enough.
At 7-8, the Bills failed to make the playoffs for the 17th straight season. The last time they made the playoffs was 1999. Ryan was brought in to turn the Bills into a playoff contender and he failed to do that.
Ryan finished 15-16 in his two years as Bills coach. Just like his father Buddy with the Eagles, Rex experienced early success with the Jets but hasn’t taken a team to the playoffs since 2010.
Buddy only lasted three seasons in the desert and failed to turn the Cardinals around. So needless to say, the Ryan’s don’t do well when they get second chances.
The Bills promoted offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn to interim head coach but the prevailing thought around the league is, Lynn is going to replace Ryan as the permanent coach. Lynn is well regarded around the league and he interviewed for the 49ers job last off season.
Is this the end of the road for Rex Ryan as a head coach in the NFL? It probably is for the forseeable future but this is the NFL. The Ryan name carries weight around the league and there is always an owner out there who thinks they are smarter than they really are so Ryan could get another chance.
In the meantime, Ryan will either take the year off or do some television. I can’t see him coaching in 2017 unless it’s as a defensive coordinator for someone he knows.
As I said earlier, Ryan’s act got old quick in Buffalo. The brash trash talking, the proclamations of impending success, the antics, all of it got old. The results just weren’t there.
Sexy Rexy now has to face the reality that his coaching career is at a crossroads. He isn’t as good a coach as he thought. Maybe a slice of humble pie will do Rex some good and it might lead to him getting another opportunity some day.