:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71969840/823212956.0.jpg "Denver Broncos hiring news: New head coach Sean Payton interviewing Rex Ryan for open DC job")
New Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is already looking to make a splash, albeit confusing, hire. He is looking to interview Rex Ryan for the open defensive coordinator position, per Fox's Jay Glazer. Ryan hasn't coached in the NFL since 2016.
While not as drastic as a move from analyst to head coach, Ryan would be a close second. He at least has a coaching background, but Ryan has been working with ESPN as an NFL analyst since he left the league. If you go even further back, Ryan hasn't been a defensive coordinator since 2008, when he was with the Baltimore Ravens.
After holding his most recent DC job, Ryan went on to coach the New York Jets from 2009 to 2014. All told, he finished with a 46-50 record through six seasons with the team. He made the playoffs, and the AFC Championship came in consecutive years starting out but wasn't ever able to get back there again. After a 4-12 record in 2014, Ryan was dismissed from the team.
He landed on his feet with the divisional rival Buffalo Bills and was with the team for two seasons. Ryan wasn't terrible, but he certainly wasn't good. He finished 15-16 between the two seasons and was fired prior to the season finale in 2016. Ryan has always been dubbed a defensive-minded guy, so if he is able to only focus on the defense, maybe the Broncos could avoid taking a large step back in that area. Or, maybe that's just wishful thinking for an organization that has been making drastic moves over the last year.