It makes plenty of sense for the Falcons to hire Rex Ryan to be the team’s next coach. To get the job, however, Rex may need to suppress some of the qualities that ultimately make him the right choice for the job.
Per a league source, a perception exists that Rex has been politicking too aggressively for the gig. A December 6 article from Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News lobbying for Ryan to be the next coach of the Falcons (complete with Photoshopped image of Rex in Falcons gear) was received in Flowery Branch as a deliberate effort by Rex to position himself for a job that was not yet vacant.
To win over owner Arthur Blank, Ryan will need to be a lot more subtle. While some may think it’s impossible for Rex not to be Rex, Ryan was able once John Idzik became Ryan’s boss to become a bit less bombastic.
That said, many owners have a habit of looking for new coaches who are the exact opposite of their most recent coaches. But the things that make Ryan the exact opposite of Mike Smith also make him potentially unattractive to Blank, who passed on Ryan in 2008.
Still, Blank’s desire to win a Super Bowl could get him to take a chance on Ryan, who never had a quarterback of Matt Ryan’s caliber and who can give the defense the kind of kick in the butt it so desperately needs. To enhance his chances of getting the job, Rex Ryan needs to be, in some ways, the exact opposite of the guy he usually is.
