ESPN analyst Rex Ryan is signaling interest in a return to coaching at the collegiate level, specifically targeting the newly open head coaching position at the University of Maryland.
According to Jeff Ermann of 247 Sports, the former New York Jets head coach is exploring the opportunity to lead the Terrapins. The vacancy follows Maryland’s decision to part ways with Mike Locksley amid a 12-game losing streak in Big Ten competition.
Locksley, who spent nine seasons with the program, was dismissed shortly after Maryland’s 37-30 home defeat to Rutgers.
At 63, Ryan has not coached since his dismissal by the Buffalo Bills in 2016, but he could provide the intensity Maryland’s program seeks. He also has strong regional ties, having spent a decade as a position coach and defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, located just 30 miles south of College Park.
Ermann suggested that hiring Ryan would generate “Deion-level buzz with actual coaching ability behind it.” Like Jim Harbaugh during his early tenure at Michigan, Ryan would likely draw significant media attention to Maryland. His longstanding connection to the state, forged during his years with the Ravens, could also help him attract a high-caliber coaching staff.
Over eight seasons as a head coach, Ryan compiled a 61-66 record and led the Jets to consecutive AFC Championship appearances in his first two years. He spoke with the New York Giants’ head coach last offseason about potentially joining as defensive coordinator. Ryan last coached at the college level in 1998, serving as defensive coordinator at Oklahoma.
If hired, Ryan would join fellow former NFL head coaches Bill Belichick, Bill O’Brien, and Matt Rhule in the college ranks.
Maryland’s coaching search includes several prominent candidates, such as former LSU head coach Brian Kelly, Memphis’ Charles Huff, New Mexico’s Jason Eck, and Wake Forest’s Jake Dickert. Aazaar Abdul-Rahim currently serves as the Terrapins’ interim head coach.
