Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has heard the talk that his long hair makes straight-laced NFL owners reluctant to hire him as a head coach. But Ryan says he won’t change his ways.
Ryan told FOX Sports that he’s going to cut his hair when he wants to, and not because anyone pressures him to do it.
“It is getting kind of long now. Eventually, I’ll cut it,” Ryan said. “But not now with the peer pressure. I think I’ll let it grow.”
Ryan has cut his hair short in the past, but he didn’t do it to advance his career: He did it to donate his hair to Locks of Love, a charity that makes wigs for children who have lost their hair to alopecia, chemotherapy or other medical causes.
“I’ve done that since I was in Oakland,” Ryan said. “It all started with my daughter. I went to school and one of her classmates needed hair and all that. So, I’ve donated my hair about five different times to Locks of Love.”
That’s just the kind of community service that NFL owners should want to see from potential head coaches.