The New Orleans Saints staff has garnered a reputation for picking smart football players ever since Sean Payton took over in 2006. No one on the coaching staff has benefited more from this policy that second-year defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.
Ryan has long been considered one of the top defensive minds in the NFL but has often been criticized for coming up with defensive schemes too complicated for some of his players to grasp. Recently, at training camp up at Greenbrier in West Virginia, Rob Ryan was asked if he was planning to simplify his defenses for next season. To which he replied, “We don’t coach a brain-dead scheme. We’re going to coach good football and whatever our players can handle, that’s what I’m going to give them.”
Rob is the son of legendary NFL football coach Buddy Ryan and brother to Rex Ryan who coaches the New York Jets, so, he clearly has football in his blood. One day he too will be the head coach of an NFL team, but for now, Rob is living it up in New Orleans.
Former players have commented that his various pre-snap adjustments are hard to keep up with and slighted Ryan for making them play more than one position. On the contrary, the current Saints defensive squad seems the relish these very same aspects of Ryan’s defensive philosophy.
Take for example the case of young Kenny Vaccaro. In his rookie season with the Saints Coach Ryan not only had him playing both safety positions by also put him at cornerback and even linebacker at times. What might have been confusing for another player… Kenny Vaccaro ate it up and now praises Ryan for the push.
Vacarro told reporters, “He put me in six positions and helped me pick it up. He provides us with the knowledge. We can get his scheme.” And obviously that holds more than a grain of truth seeing as how Ryan took the worst defensive team in the history of the NFL, the 2012 New Orleans Saints, and turned them around into one of the most respected defenses in the league.
Saints fans down in New Orleans have taken Rob Ryan into the fold and now treat him like a native. His appearance at some of the neighborhood bars and the local festivals have endeared him to the “Big Easy” and Ryan reciprocates, “I love New Orleans, and it just happens to be an awesome city and they seem to appreciate just a good guy.”
