Buddy Ryan
Details
- Date of Birth:
- February 17, 1934
- Hometown:
- Frederick
Bio:
Buddy Ryan (born James David Ryan on February 17, 1934 in Frederick, Oklahoma) was an American football coach. He worked as a defensive coordinator and a head coach in the NFL. Through his 35-season coaching career, Buddy was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals and the defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears and Houston Oilers. In his early coaching years, Buddy was a young defensive line coach with the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings. Buddy was fired from the Cardinals in 1995 and retired to his home in Kentucky where he bred race horses.
Best Known For:
Buddy is best known for his role as an assistant on three different teams to make it to the Super Bowl. He built an impressive reputation as a defensive specialist.
Personal Life:
Buddy married Doris Ryan, with whom he had three sons, Jim, and fraternal twins Rex and Rob. Rex is the head coach of the Buffalo Bills and Rob is the assistant head coach of defense for the Bills. Buddy met Joanie Ryan in 1968 while living in New York as the assistant coach with the New York Jets. They married in September 1970. Buddy died on June 28, 2016 at the age of 82.