Buddy Ryan

James David "Buddy" Ryan (born February 17, 1934) is an American former football defensive coordinator and head coach in the National Football League (NFL). During his 35-season coaching career, Ryan served as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals, and the defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears and Houston Oilers of the NFL.

Early years

Ryan was born and raised in a small, agricultural-based community "just outside of Frederick, Oklahoma." Ryan played college football for Oklahoma A&M University (now Oklahoma State) where he earned four letters as a guard between 1952 and 1955. He served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

Coaching

High school

Ryan began his coaching career at Gainesville High School in Gainesville, Texas in 1957 as an assistant coach under Dub Wooten. When Wooten became head coach at Marshall Texas High School in 1959, Ryan was promoted to head coach at Gainesville. After one season at Gainesville, he "spent one year as high-school athletic director in Marshall, Texas." Gainesville was his only head coach position until he was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles 25 years later.

Buddy Ryan (baseball)

John Budd Ryan (October 6, 1885 – July 9, 1956) was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played for two seasons. He played for the Cleveland Naps from 1912 to 1913, playing in 166 career games. He managed the Sacramento Senators of the Pacific Coast League from 1924 to 1932 and later managed the Portland Beavers in 1935, the Wenatchee Chiefs in 1946 and 1947 and the Spokane Indians in 1948.

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