Rex Ryan’s NFL return will have to wait.
The Dallas Cowboys are expected to hire Mike Zimmer — and not the outspoken former Jets coach Ryan — as their defensive coordinator, according to ESPN.
Ryan, a defensive maven who last coached in 2016, recently interviewed for the job.
The anticipated hiring marks a homecoming for the 67-year-old Zimmer, who was part of the Cowboys’ defensive staff from 1994-06, including as the coordinator from 2000-06.
Zimmer also served stints as defensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals before becoming head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, with whom he went 72-56-1 from 2014-21.
He replaces Dan Quinn, who led the Cowboys to top-seven finishes in scoring defense in each of his three seasons as coordinator. The NFC East-rival Washington Commanders hired Quinn as their head coach last week.
Zimmer takes over a talented Dallas defense led by star pass rushers Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence that is coming off a brutal performance in last month’s 48-32 loss to the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers in the first round of the playoffs.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones decided to keep head coach Mike McCarthy despite that embarrassing home defeat in a game that was largely decided by halftime.
Ryan, 61, spent six years as Jets head coach from 2009-14, advancing to the AFC Championship Game in both of his first two seasons. He failed to post a winning record in any of his final four seasons with Gang Green, however, and his tenure bottomed out with a 4-12 season in 2014 that led to his firing.
Ryan’s defenses finished top 10 in terms of yards allowed in all but three of his 12 seasons as either the head coach of the Jets or Buffalo Bills or as the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens.
He’s spent the past seven years as an analyst for ESPN, where was critical of McCarthy multiple times, including when the Cowboys hired him after he was fired by the Packers.
“It’s not a sexy hire by any stretch to me because you didn’t win,” Ryan said on “First Take” in 2019. “You were like the rest of us when you never had Aaron Rodgers.”
Despite his extensive NFL absence, Ryan’s name continues to come up on the coaching rumor mill. He was considered a possible in-season replacement for Denver Broncos coordinator Vance Joseph after his defense surrendered a jaw-dropping 70 points in a blowout loss to Miami in Week 3 last fall. Joseph, however, remains as Denver’s DC as part of Sean Payton’s coaching staff.
Ryan’s twin brother, Rob Ryan, served as Cowboys defensive coordinator from 2011-12.
