Jets request to interview Lions assistant WR coach Seth Ryan

Ryan has been with the Lions for the last two years

While it’s now apparent defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is sticking around Detroit for at least another season, the Lions could still lose an assistant coach in the coming days.

Per a report from Adam Schefter that was quickly verified by other media, the New York Jets have requested permission from the Lions to interview assistant wide receivers coach Seth Ryan for their WR coach vacancy.

Ryan came to the Lions with the onset of the Dan Campbell regime in 2021 and has been in the assistant WR coach role for the last two years. Prior to that, he worked under ex-offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn with the Los Angeles Chargers. He is the son of longtime NFL coach Rex Ryan.

The Jets have an opening after WR coach Miles Austin was let go following a gambling-related suspension.

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Jets requested permission to interview Lions assistant WR coach Seth Ryan, son of Rex Ryan

Jets on the search for a new wide receivers coach.

The Jets once had Rex Ryan as their head coach. Soon, they may have his son on their coaching staff.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Jets requested permission to interview Lions assistant wide receivers coach Seth Ryan for their vacant wide receivers coaching position. The team is looking for a replacement for Miles Austin.

Ryan has been in the NFL as an assistant coach for four seasons. He started in 2019 with the Los Angeles Chargers and spent two years as an offensive quality control coach. He has spent the past two seasons as the assistant wide receivers coach in Detroit. He has helped oversee the fast development of Amon-Ra St. Brown, who has burst onto the scene in just two seasons since the Lions took him in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Ryan played four years at Clemson and was a part of the 2016 National Championship team.

Detroit Lions hire Todd Wash as DL coach, plus 3 more assistant coaches

The Detroit Lions announced that they have hired Todd Wash as their defensive line coach, as well as three other assistant coaches.

The Detroit Lions announced that they have hired former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash as their defensive line coach, Seth Ryan as an assistant wide receiver coach, as well as Kelvin Shepard and Brian Duker as defensive assistants.

“Wash joins the Lions as the team’s defensive line coach in 2021, his 26th season as a coach and his 15th in the NFL,” the Lions said in a press release. “Wash spent the last eight seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, originally joining the staff as a defensive line coach/run game coordinator in 2013 and serving as the defensive coordinator from 2016-20.”

Wash’s is now the second former defensive coordinator to join the Lions’ staff to coach under first-time coordinator Aaron Glenn — 47-year veteran Dom Capers was hired last weekend as a senior defensive assistant.

What’s most intriguing about the hiring of Wash is that all of his NFL experience is in coaching four-man defensive lines. That suggests the Lions will indeed be shifting their scheme to more of a one-gapping defensive front.

“Ryan joins the Lions as the team’s assistant wide receivers coach in 2021 after spending the past four seasons (2017-20) with the Los Angeles Chargers, serving as a coaching intern from 2017-18 and an offensive quality control coach from 2019-20,” the Lions said.

Ryan was hired into the Chargers organization by new Lions offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn. When Lynn was in Buffalo, he was an assistant head coach/running backs coach/offensive coordinator under Rex Ryan — Seth Ryan’s dad.

But the younger Ryan isn’t coasting on his father’s name. “In his stint in L.A., Ryan worked primarily with the team’s wide receivers and helped guide WRs Mike Williams and Keenan Allen (three) to 1,000-yard seasons in that span,” the Lions continued. “Allen made the Pro Bowl in all four years working with Ryan and produced a franchise-record 104 receptions in 2019. Ryan was a wide receiver at Clemson from 2013-16 and helped the Tigers win the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship.”

At this time, the Lions have yet to hire a wide receiver’s coach, but several names have been rumored to be connected to the Lions including former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers Hines Ward (with the Jets in 2020) and Antwaan Randel El (who is coaching with Tampa Bay in this weekend’s Super Bowl).

Sheppard’s hiring was leaked out this past weekend, but his role was unknown until today.

“Sheppard joins the Lions as a defensive assistant in 2021, his first position as an NFL coach,” the Lions said. “He was originally selected by the Buffalo Bills in the third round (68th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft out of LSU and split eight seasons (2011-18) with the Bills, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants and Detroit.”

Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic Baltimore tweeted out the Duker news yesterday, but like with Sheppard, his position was not known until today.

“Duker joins the Lions as a defensive assistant in 2021 after spending the last three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens,” the Lions said. “He joined the team in 2018 as defensive staff assistant/coaching analyst, before being promoted in 2019 to coaching analyst – defense. Prior to the Ravens, Duker had stops with the San Francisco 49ers (2016-17) as a defensive analyst and Cleveland Browns (2015-16) as a defensive intern.”