Rob Ryan was fired, along with the rest of the Browns’ coaching staff, at the end of the 2010 season. He hasn’t forgotten or forgiven.
As Ryan, now the defensive coordinator of the Cowboys, spoke to reporters today about Sunday’s game against the Browns, he acknowledged that his feelings toward the franchise that fired him go beyond just business.
“Any time you pour everything into it and apparently management didn’t see it as good enough, of course it’s personal,” Ryan said of his feelings about the Browns firing him.
Ryan initially told reporters that he hadn’t used any of his own ill will toward the Browns in trying to fire up his players this week.
“Honestly, I’m going to say none. Honestly. Honestly,” Ryan said. “Honestly, I’m going to say no. Honestly, I haven’t talked about it. Honestly, I don’t know how that got out there. Honestly, I don’t know.”
But when he was asked if he was really being honest, Ryan acknowledged that he did bring up to his players that he’d love nothing more than to stick it to the Browns.
“I’ve addressed a few things,” Ryan said.
Ryan said he was so dedicated to winning in Cleveland that he moved into the team’s facilities for half a season so that he could do nothing but work, nonstop.
“I slept in them for seven straight weeks when I said, ‘Hey, I’m not going home until we win a game.’ I’ll never say that again,” Ryan said.
Ryan may be bitter, but the Browns went 5-11 in both of his seasons as defensive coordinator, so it’s no surprise that they decided to make a coaching change. And considering that the Browns have been sold and a new regime is taking over the front office, there’s not really anyone left for Ryan to direct his bitterness toward. Perhaps if the Cowboys win on Sunday, Ryan can let it go.