Philadelphia Eagles: 6 Best Head Coaches in team history
By Daniel Black
6. Buddy Ryan (1986-1990)
The sixth and final spot was a toss-up between Buddy Ryan and Ray Rhodes, but Ryan had a smidge more success with the team. Although Rhodes has an argument as well. After great success with the Chicago Bears as the Defensive Coordinator creating one of the most famous and most feared defenses in league history, the Eagles tabbed Ryan as their head coach, looking to bring stability to the defensive side of the ball.
Ryan’s tenure with the team started out rocky, missing the playoffs in his first two seasons with the Eagles. However, the tides would turn, as the team made three straight playoff appearances under Ryan.
During that time, he oversaw some of the greatest collective talents in Eagles history, especially on the defensive side of the ball, with names like Reggie White, Eric Allen and Seth Joyner disrupting offenses, while offensively, Ryan helped Randall Cunningham reinvent the quarterback position as we know it today.
Despite all the talent that he had, many fans would argue that Ryan’s teams underachieved in the five years he was in town. Ryan never won a playoff game in three straight seasons as head coach of the Eagles and was fired in 1991.