New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh sparked intrigue during a WFAN radio interview following his introductory press conference on Tuesday when asked about potentially hiring former Jets head coach Rex Ryan as defensive coordinator.
“Why not? Could you imagine Rex coming back in here? I’m not ruling anything out,” Harbaugh said. “A guy like Rex — he’s around the game; he knows the game. He’s going to have to get updated a little bit with some of the scheme stuff, but I’ll tell you, no one calls a better game than Rex Ryan.”
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When pressed on whether Ryan still wants to coach, Harbaugh replied, “I don’t know. We’ll have to give him a call.”
NFL insider Gary Myers also implied Ryan could be a target for Harbaugh’s staff.
The suggestion carries historical weight. During Ryan’s tenure with the Jets, he was a polarizing rival to the Giants, famously declaring he didn’t come to New York “to be anyone’s little brother” and dismissing then-Giants coach Tom Coughlin. Public clashes, including with running back Brandon Jacobs, cemented his villain status among Giants fans.
Ryan has not coached since 2016. Yet recently, he praised the Harbaugh-led Giants as a playoff-caliber team, adding an unexpected layer to the speculation.
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This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants’ John Harbaugh floats idea of calling Rex Ryan for DC job