With its rising star defensive coordinator secured, USC crammed the ultimate emptiness on its defensive workers Saturday, naming a longtime NFL defensive coordinator with 35 years of expertise its linebackers coach.
Rob Ryan spent 17 years as an NFL coordinator, main defenses in Buffalo, Oakland, Cleveland, New Orleans and Dallas. In Buffalo, the place twin brother Rex Ryan was head coach, Rob Ryan first labored alongside D’Anton Lynn, who’s now USC’s defensive coordinator. In addition they labored collectively in 2021 in Baltimore, the place Ryan was the within linebackers coach.
However Lynn’s relationship with the Ryan household traces again even additional than that. Rex Ryan was head coach of the New York Jets when Lynn signed as an undrafted free agent in 2012. Lynn performed only one season with the Jets, however impressed Ryan sufficient that he employed Lynn as a scout in 2014. When Ryan left for Buffalo in 2015, he introduced Lynn alongside as an assistant.
“[Rex Ryan] form of acquired me into the league, and lots of issues that I do, lots of the way in which I see the sport at all times comes again to him,” Lynn mentioned earlier this 12 months.
Ryan was linebackers coach with the Payments throughout Lynn’s second season in Buffalo. When Rex Ryan was fired, Lynn’s father, Anthony, took over because the Payments’ interim coach.
The connection remained, at the same time as Lynn coached elsewhere. In 2023, upon his rent as UCLA’s defensive coordinator, Ryan informed The Instances that he believed Lynn was “a celebrity.”
Whereas Lynn bounced from that Baltimore workers to that UCLA workers in 2023, Rob Ryan remained within the NFL, serving as a senior defensive assistant with the Raiders. He labored carefully with Raiders star defensive finish Maxx Crosby via this season, serving to information him to his fourth Professional Bowl Video games nod.
Now Ryan is about to rejoin Lynn in Los Angeles, changing linebackers coach Matt Entz, who was named Fresno State’s head coach final month. The rent was made lower than 24 hours after USC introduced that Lynn had signed an extension to stay at USC after Penn State, his alma mater, made a concerted effort this week to rent him away from L.A.
Ryan will take over a linebacker room that’s mild on expertise, with two common contributors from final season now off to the NFL. He does inherit star linebacker Eric Gentry, who will return from a season stricken by concussions, in addition to an rising expertise in rising sophomore Desman Stephens.
Whereas he spent the final quarter century within the NFL, Ryan does have some expertise on the faculty degree.. He was Oklahoma State’s defensive coordinator from 1997-99. Earlier than that, he led the protection at Hutchinson Group Faculty in 1996.
Nevertheless it’s his NFL expertise that stood out to USC head coach Lincoln Riley.
“Rob Ryan is among the most completed defensive coaches in NFL historical past,” Riley mentioned in an announcement. “With over 20 years of NFL expertise, he’ll instantly bolster our workers as we proceed our climb right here at USC. He has coached among the NFL’s high gamers, together with quite a few Corridor of Famers and All-Professional alternatives. We’re thrilled to welcome Coach Ryan and his household to our program.”