Seth Ryan is interviewing with the New York Jets
The Ryan family might be making its way back into the world of NFL coaching.
Not only is current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan interviewing for the Denver Broncos’ defensive coordinator position, but Rex’s son, Seth, might be joining the New York Jets as an assistant. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jets have requested permission to interview Seth Ryan for their wide receivers coaching job. Ryan is currently an assistant wide receivers coach for the Detroit Lions.
Jets requested permission to interview Lions’ assistant WR coach Seth Ryan for their WR coaching job. The son of Rex could land with the team his father once coached.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 12, 2023
The Jets’ wide receivers coaching job became vacant when Miles Austin was suspended one year for violating the NFL’s gambling policy.
Currently aged just 28 years old and set to turn 29 in March, Ryan would be one of the youngest coaches on the Jets’ staff if hired.
When Rex became the Jets’ head coach in 2009, Seth was 14 years old. Rex coached the Jets until 2014, so Seth lived in New Jersey throughout his high school years. Seth attended Summit High School in Summit, New Jersey.
Ryan walked on at Clemson, where he played from 2013 to 2016. After redshirting his freshman year, he played 33 games over the next three seasons, primarily appearing on special teams, where he served as the Tigers’ holder on placekicks. Offensively, he only caught five passes for 49 yards in his career. Ryan won a national championship in the 2016 season. Prior to the 2016 season, he earned a scholarship.
Ryan entered the NFL coaching ranks in 2019 when he was hired as the Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive quality control coach under head coach Anthony Lynn. After Lynn was fired and moved on to become the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator, Ryan followed him over, with Lynn hiring Ryan as an assistant wide receivers coach.
Lynn was fired by the Lions after the 2021 season but new head coach Dan Campbell chose to retain Ryan on the staff. In each of the past two seasons, Ryan worked alongside the Lions’ wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El, a nine-year NFL veteran who caught 370 passes for Pittsburgh and Washington from 2002 to 2010.
Detroit’s wide receivers showed immense growth under Ryan and Randle El in 2022. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kalif Raymond each set career-highs in receiving yards while Josh Reynolds had the second-most yards of his six-year career. These receivers were integral cogs in an excellent Lions passing attack that finished fifth in passing DVOA and eighth in passing yards per game.
