It’s really a sad day in sports, not only did we lose Pat Summitt, we also lost legendary coach and defensive guru Buddy Ryan who passed away at 82 years old.
via ESPN:
Ryan, who coached in the NFL for 26 seasons, was known for building some of football’s top defenses behind a relentlessness that focused on creating havoc on the field.
He was on the defensive staff of the Super Bowl-winning New York Jets in Super Bowl III in 1968. The Chicago Bears carried Ryan off the field next to coach Mike Ditka after Ryan’s vaunted “46 Defense” helped the Bears destroy the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX.
He later was head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals, and he finished his career with a 55-55-1 record in his seven seasons as a head coach.
He is also the father of two unforgettable and current coaches, twin brothers Rex and Rob Ryan.
Rex hired Rob to the Bills as an assistant head coach/defense, reuniting the two brothers on the same NFL staff for the first time since 1995.
“Because, who knows?” Rob Ryan told TheMMQB.com. “[Buddy Ryan] is not going to be able to watch us coach for much longer, I don’t think. But hopefully he can see this one, because we have got big plans. Bring [Bill] Belichick on. We got him.”
Buddy Ryan was suffering from the aftermath of a devastating stroke and battling cancer.
