Ravens' Ed Reed Confirms Teammates Preferred Rex Ryan As Coach

When the Baltimore Ravens were deciding on a head coach for the 2008 season, more than a few teammates, including All Pro safety Ed Reed wanted their defensive coordinator at the time, Rex Ryan, to be named their head coach. The Ravens chose John Harbaugh, and ultimately Ryan left the team to become head coach of the New York Jets.

Reed and his defensive teammates loved their coordinator and felt he deserved the chance to lead the entire team, not just one side of it. Both Harbaugh and Ryan have enjoyed tremendous success at the head coaching level, wth the two coaches losing the last three AFC Championship Games between them.

In a story on Ball Junkie, Reed reveals that his loved playing for Ryan and was hurt when he left the team. The Ravens "loss" was the Jets' gain, as his current players seem to feel the same way about their current head coach as Reed did about his former defensive coordinator.