Rob Ryan certainly left a lasting first impression during his USC Trojans introductory press conference on Wednesday.
Last month, it was reported that Rob Ryan was hired to serve as the Trojans’ new assistant head coach for defense and linebackers coach. Ryan will work under head coach Lincoln Riley, who just wrapped up his third season in Southern California.
Rob and twin brother Rex Ryan have never been short of bizarre soundbites or quotes to the media during their coaching careers. There’s a reason ESPN moved quickly to hire Rex after he was let go as the Buffalo Bills’ head coach in 2016, after all.
In the middle of the USC introductory press conference, Rob Ryan went on a wild rant that may or may not have been brought on by too much coffee beforehand. The first bizarre part of the press conference arrived when he raved about USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn:
“Watch where we finish this year. This guy [Lynn] is special. He’s special, he knows how to get it done. He’s a great communicator, great teacher, he’s fun to be around. He makes everybody better, including the coaches. We’ll see. I’m looking forward to the – what do you call it, spring ball or whatever? I can’t wait.
“We’re gonna go against the best? Oh, good. Bring it on. Let’s see. I can’t wait to see that little JUCO kid from Hutch – bam, we’re gonna get after you. But anyway, it’ll be great. We’re excited.”
Rob Ryan then started talking about USC quarterback Jayden Maiava and his prior experience coaching the latter’s uncle. The rant then led to a story about Ryan’s issues in finding a vehicle to rent in Hawaii, and comparing Maiava to a rattlesnake (we don’t get it, either):
“I saw the Maiava guy – I coached his uncle. I hated that kid when I first had him,. That USC kid. The little captain. Remember, he could walk under this table right here. Little guy. We draft this little runt. I’m like, ‘Oh, man.’ This guy. I was all over this kid during the OTAs. Man, this guy.
I’ve never been to Maui. I run things in Oahu, but I’m gonna go to Maui. He’s like, ‘Hey, Rob. You get in any kid of trouble now, you just tell them you know Kaluks.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna tell them I know Kaluks.’
“I walk out there, do the usual. … Now, they’re out of cars. I’m in Maui, I’ve got no car. So what do I do? ‘I know Kaluks.’ I got a car – ‘Oh, you know Kaluks?’…I got a van, I’m like, ‘Yeah, Kaluks. My man.’ Anyway, I ended up loving the kid. Oh, man, is he mean as a rattlesnake and there’s a reason why that kid was captain with all those first-round draft choices. I love that guy. Looks can be deceiving.”
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Enjoy 2 minutes of an absolutely unhinged Rob Ryan pic.twitter.com/m2fCbHAVa9
— The Trojan Blade (@TheTrojanBlade) February 5, 2025
Thanks for sharing all of that, coach.
Rob Ryan Returns To NCAA For First Time Since 1999
Ryan’s football coaching career began back in 1987 as a graduate assistant for Western Kentucky. He eventually moved his way up to defensive coordinator of Oklahoma State, a position he held from 1997 to 1999.
Rob Ryan then got his first NFL coaching job in 2000, when Bill Belichick hired him to serve as the linebackers coach. Ryan was on staff for the 2001 and ’03 Patriots Super Bowl championship squads and later held the DC positions for the Oakland Raiders (2004-08), Cleveland Browns (2009-2010), Dallas Cowboys (2011 to 2012) and New Orleans Saints (2013 to 2015).
