Rex Ryan
A brash, defensive-minded NFL coach whose bold promises and rivalry-stoking confidence made the New York Jets a must-watch spectacle.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American football coach and analyst·Birthday: December 13·Baby Boomers
Biography
Rex Ryan, son of famed defensive coach Buddy Ryan, carried his father's aggressive, unpredictable football philosophy into a headline-grabbing head coaching career. He first made his name as a mastermind of complex, blitz-heavy defenses with the Baltimore Ravens. His arrival as head coach of the New York Jets was a seismic event; he immediately declared he wasn't there to 'kiss Bill Belichick's rings,' igniting a fiery rivalry. For two seasons, his teams backed up his talk, reaching consecutive AFC Championship games with a punishing ground game and relentless defense. Ryan's unfiltered persona, marked by profane pep talks and a clear love for his players, made him a fan favorite and a media magnet, even as later seasons failed to capture the same magic.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Rex was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rex Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Rex's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the New York Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship games in the 2009 and 2010 NFL seasons.
- Served as the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, whose defense consistently ranked among the league's best.
- Authored one of the most dominant defensive playoff performances, holding the Colts to 3 points in a 2010 Wild Card win.
Did You Know?
He has multiple tattoos, including one of his wife in a Mark Sanchez Jets jersey.
He and his twin brother, Rob Ryan, have both served as defensive coordinators in the NFL.
He once guaranteed a Super Bowl victory for the Jets during a training camp speech, a clip that went viral.
““I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick’s rings. I came here to win.””
