Rob Ryan Says Everything in New Orleans Is Blamed on Him, Including Katrina

Recently fired New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan spoke Sunday about his dismissal from the team while acting as a guest analyst on NFL Network.

Ryan implied the Saints' misfortunes—as well as the hardship that's struck New Orleans as a city—have been pinned predominantly on him, per ESPN.com's Mike Triplett:

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Something had to be done. Right now the defense is ranked 33rd in the league, and there's only 32 teams. I have a lot to do with it, but everything in New Orleans is being blamed on me, including Katrina, I think that's a little far-fetched. But the bottom line is this: I'll hold my head high and walk out in the sunset but believe I'll come back with a vengeance.

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He went on to express gratitude to the city of New Orleans later in his TV appearance:

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This last stop, New Orleans, has been fantastic. They treated us with open arms. Newman High School, where the Mannings built basically, has been fantastic for my son Matthew. And I know he's moving on to college, so that move was inevitable. But if he had had to go somewhere out of that school, he'd have been devastated. My daughter's gonna have to uproot again, and it's tough. It's the worst part of the profession. And that's really the only negative about coaching, in my opinion.

"

Since overseeing the Oakland Raiders defense from 2004 to 2008 in his first NFL stint as a coordinator, Ryan has struggled to hold down a job for very long. His stop in Cleveland lasted only two seasons (2009-10), as did his tenure thereafter with the Dallas Cowboys.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler suggested Ryan's pedigree—his brother, Rex, is the coach of the Buffalo Bills, and his father, Buddy, was a longtime NFL coach—has aided his job prospects:

The Saints gave Ryan more than two seasons to install and instill his system. After the team went to the playoffs in his maiden 2013 campaign, his side of the ball has been disastrous, ranking 31st in total defense in 2014 and dead last this year entering Sunday's Week 11 action.

Quarterback Drew Brees continues to catalyze a high-octane passing attack in New Orleans, but the team is still searching for ways to keep opponents off the scoreboard often enough to win consistently. Dennis Allen was named Ryan's interim successor once Ryan was fired this past Monday.

Given his track record of numerous NFL jobs and ability to find employment even on the heels of lackluster results, it stands to reason Ryan will in fact come back soon—if not in exceptional style, as he suggests he will.