Rob Ryan: Rex Ryan’s Twin Brother, the Two-Time Super Bowl Coach Now at USC
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Rex Ryan is trending in the United States today, 12 November 2026, after the former NFL head coach and current ESPN analyst was arrested in Nashville on Wednesday 11 November. Police say the 63-year-old turned himself in on six misdemeanor warrants after his pickup truck allegedly ran over the feet of two pedestrians on Broadway on 5 November, and he was released on a $6,000 bond ahead of a court hearing on 18 December. The headlines are all about Rex, but his twin brother has spent just as long in the game: Rob Ryan, the fraternal twin who won two Super Bowls as a coach and now works on the staff at USC.
Robert Allen Ryan was born on 13 December 1962 in Ardmore, Oklahoma, which makes him 63 years old. He is the fraternal twin brother of Rex Ryan — Rex was born five minutes earlier — and the son of former NFL head coach Buddy Ryan and Doris Ryan. While Rex became a head coach and a television analyst, Rob built a coaching career of his own that has taken him to nine different NFL teams and a college sideline in California.
| Detail | Rob Ryan |
|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Allen Ryan |
| Date of birth | 13 December 1962 (age 63) |
| Birthplace | Ardmore, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Primary role | American football coach |
| Current role | Assistant head coach for defense/linebackers, USC Trojans (2025–present) |
| Famous relation | Fraternal twin brother of former NFL head coach Rex Ryan; son of Buddy Ryan |
| Best known for | Linebackers coach for the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl XXXVI and XXXVIII wins; defensive coordinator for nine NFL teams |
| Education | Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, Illinois; Southwestern Oklahoma State University |
| Spouse | Kristin Ryan |
| Children | Three |
| Net worth | Not publicly verified |
| Height | Not publicly verified |
| Social media | Not publicly verified |
Rob Ryan — Quick Reference Profile
From Ardmore to Toronto: A Childhood Split Between Two Countries
Rob Ryan was born in Ardmore, Oklahoma, on 13 December 1962, five minutes after his fraternal twin Rex. Their father, Buddy Ryan, was already building a coaching career, and their older brother Jim would later become a lawyer. When their parents divorced in 1966, Rob and Rex moved with their mother Doris to Toronto, where they spent much of their childhood.
The twins moved back to the United States in 1974 to live with their father, and Rob attended Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. He then played defensive end at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, lining up opposite his brother Rex. Neither twin had a long playing career, but both had found their calling: like their father, they would become coaches.
Nine NFL Teams and Two Super Bowl Rings: The Coaching Climb
Ryan began coaching as a graduate assistant at Western Kentucky in 1987 and Ohio State in 1988, then spent five seasons at Tennessee State, coaching running backs, wide receivers and the defensive line. He entered the NFL in 1994 as defensive backs coach for the Arizona Cardinals, on his father’s staff, where cornerback Aeneas Williams earned two Pro Bowl trips and the 1995 Cardinals led the league with 32 interceptions. After a year as defensive coordinator at Hutchinson Community College, where his defense led the nation, he took the same job at Oklahoma State from 1997 to 1999 and was named Coordinator of the Year by The Sporting News in 1997.
His big break came before the 2000 season, when Bill Belichick hired him as linebackers coach for the New England Patriots. He spent four seasons in New England and won two Super Bowls, XXXVI over the St. Louis Rams and XXXVIII over the Carolina Panthers, working with Pro Bowl linebackers Willie McGinest and Tedy Bruschi. That success made him a defensive coordinator, a role he held with the Oakland Raiders from 2004 to 2008, the Cleveland Browns from 2009 to 2010, the Dallas Cowboys from 2011 to 2012 and the New Orleans Saints from 2013 to 2015.
The Ryan Twins: Rob, Rex and the Family Business of Defence
Rob and Rex Ryan are sons of Buddy Ryan, the coach who designed the 46 defence that helped the Chicago Bears win Super Bowl XX and later coached the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals. The twins grew up around the game, were ball boys for the Bears, and both followed their father into coaching. Rex became the better-known of the two, as head coach of the New York Jets from 2009 to 2014 and the Buffalo Bills from 2015 to 2016, while Rob worked as a coordinator and assistant across the league.
The brothers finally worked together in January 2016, when Rex hired Rob as assistant head coach for defense with the Buffalo Bills. The partnership lasted less than a year: on 27 December 2016, the Bills fired them both. Like Fred Savage, Ben Savage’s brother, whose career also ran in parallel with a more famous sibling, Rob Ryan has spent his career being measured against a twin who grabbed more of the spotlight — and he has kept working regardless.
Broadcasting, Setbacks and the Road Back to the Sideline
After Buffalo, Ryan spent time away from the sideline. In September 2017 he was hired by Fox Sports to host a radio show with Mark Willard, and in 2018 he became a weekly analyst of Sky Sports’ NFL coverage in the UK and Ireland. He returned to coaching as inside linebackers coach with the Washington Redskins in 2019 and the Baltimore Ravens in 2021, then spent three seasons from 2022 to 2024 as a senior defensive assistant with the Las Vegas Raiders.
On 21 January 2025, USC hired Ryan as assistant head coach for defense and linebackers for the 2025 season, bringing him back to college football nearly three decades after his Oklahoma State days. Away from football, he is married to Kristin Ryan and the couple have three children. In 2012 he had lap band surgery in an attempt to lose weight, a procedure that failed, and in 2024 he trained for two months and passed a modified version of the Raiders players’ conditioning test.
Rob Ryan’s Money and Life Away From Football
Rob Ryan’s net worth is not publicly verified, and no reliable source gives a figure for it. Unlike players, NFL assistant coaches rarely have their salaries published, so estimates online are guesswork and are not repeated here as fact. What is documented is a coaching career spanning almost four decades, nine NFL teams, two Super Bowl rings and a return to college football at USC at the age of 62.
That longevity is the real story of his career. Like James Keach, Stacy Keach’s brother, who built a long career in his sibling’s shadow, Ryan has outlasted most of the coaches he started alongside. His twin brother’s arrest has put the Ryan name back in the headlines this week, but Rob Ryan’s own record — two rings, nine teams and a new job at USC — stands on its own.
Rob Ryan FAQs
Is Rob Ryan related to Rex Ryan?
Yes. Rob Ryan is the fraternal twin brother of Rex Ryan, the former New York Jets and Buffalo Bills head coach. Rex was born five minutes before Rob, and both are sons of former NFL head coach Buddy Ryan.
How old is Rob Ryan?
Rob Ryan was born on 13 December 1962, making him 63 years old. He turns 64 on 13 December 2026.
What teams has Rob Ryan coached?
He has been a defensive coordinator or assistant coach for nine different NFL franchises: the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens, and he now works at USC. He also coached at Western Kentucky, Ohio State, Tennessee State, Hutchinson Community College and Oklahoma State.
Did Rob Ryan win a Super Bowl?
Yes, twice. He was the New England Patriots’ linebackers coach when they won Super Bowl XXXVI and Super Bowl XXXVIII.
What is Rob Ryan doing now?
On 21 January 2025, USC hired him as assistant head coach for defense and linebackers for the 2025 season.
What is Rob Ryan’s net worth?
His net worth is not publicly verified. No reliable source gives a figure, so none is presented here as fact.
Rex Ryan’s arrest was reported by Reuters, and Rob Ryan’s life and career are documented on Wikipedia’s Rob Ryan page.
