USC hires Rob Ryan as its assistant head coach for defense and linebackers coach

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Longtime NFL defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has been named Southern California’s assistant head coach for defense and linebackers coach.

USC head coach Lincoln Riley announced the addition to his staff Saturday. Ryan replaces Matt Entz, who became Fresno State’s head coach last month.

Ryan has 35 years of experience as an assistant, including 24 years in the NFL with nine franchises. He spent the past three seasons as the Las Vegas Raiders’ senior defensive assistant under Josh McDaniels and Antonio Pierce.

“Rob Ryan is one of the most accomplished defensive coaches in NFL history,” Riley said in a statement. “With over two decades of NFL experience, he will immediately bolster our staff as we continue our climb here at USC.”

Ryan was the defensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders (2004-08), Cleveland Browns (2009-10), Dallas Cowboys (2011-12) and New Orleans Saints (2013-15). He also won two Super Bowl rings as the New England Patriots’ linebackers coach from 2000-03.

Ryan worked with USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn when they were both on staffs with the Buffalo Bills (2016) and the Baltimore Ravens (2021). In Buffalo, they worked under head coach Rex Ryan, Rob’s twin brother.

Lynn has become one of the top coordinators in college football after leading impressive back-to-back rebuilding jobs at UCLA and at USC, which dramatically improved its defense in his first season on campus. The Trojans signed Lynn to a contract extension earlier this week.

Rob Ryan hasn’t coached in the college game since 1999, when he finished three years as Oklahoma State’s defensive coordinator. He took two years off from coaching after both Ryan brothers were fired by Buffalo in December 2016, but returned with Washington in 2019.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football