Despite his family ties, Rob Ryan wasn't exactly a household name before joining the Cowboys this year, but by placing himself under the America's Team microscope, he's certainly gotten his fair share of attention.
In the television broadcasts this season, the Cowboys defensive coordinator is shown as often as any assistant across the league, and he's scored a high profile interview here and there as well. With his newly-elevated visibility, it was only a matter of time before he became connected to various head coaching opportunities in the league.
In fact, it was only a few hours, maybe minutes, after Jack Del Rio had been let go in Jacksonville that Ryan's name surfaced as a possibility. A franchise in transition like the Jaguars, who are in the midst of a sale, one desperate to sell season tickets, would have to consider an exciting guy like Ryan.
But he isn't the only Cowboys assistant who aspires to a head coaching job, according to a former Jaguar now playing for the Cowboys.
"You know Rob wants to be a head coach," safety Gerald Sensabaugh said. "Also, (special teams coordinator) Joe DeCamillis wants to be a head coach, too. So those are two guys."
Sensabaugh and DeCamillis spent time together in Jacksonville. Making it his fourth stop as an assistant in the NFL, DeCamillis was there for the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
The only head coach Sensabaugh ever knew in Jacksonville, Del Rio was shown the door after almost nine years on the job - the sure fate of every coach, to one day be fired, if he hasn't already. There's just enough to beg the question why anyone would want such a job.
"It was something like if he doesn't make it to the playoffs he's going to get fired," Sensabaugh said of Del Rio, who played three years for the Cowboys. "But then again they let go of their starting quarterback. So, I mean, I don't understand. You're not going to win without a quarterback in this league. Not saying the one they have is terrible or anything, but he's a rookie guy, he's going to have a learning curve.
"I don't think he should have been fired, and I thought he was a great coach when I played for him."
