Rob Ryan 'a little shocked' the Cowboys fired him

Ryan (right) said he was shocked when the Cowboys fired him. (US Presswire)

The Saints hired Rob Ryan to be their new defensive coordinator on Saturday (which, in turn, cued all the “took a little bit longer than five minutes, eh?” jokes you could handle), and later that day, Ryan admitted he was surprised he needed to find a new job in the first place.

"Oh yeah, look, I was a little shocked," Ryan told ESPN Dallas about his emotions after the Cowboys fired him. "I knew they had to do something after an 8-8 season. They choose me to be the guy, sure."

Well, Ryan wasn't the only one affected by the Cowboys' disappointing season. After all, head coach Jason Garrett had his play-calling duties taken away from him, and it seems probable that if Dallas misses the playoffs in 2013, Garrett will be the one without a job.

Yes, Ryan was the big name to be sacrificed this offseason, but remember, his defense ranked 19th in the NFL in 2012, and the only time he's coordinated a defense that was in the top 10 was in Oakland in 2006 (Ryan has been a defensive coordinator for nine seasons).

But clearly, Ryan's confidence is not shaken.

"Better coaches than me have been fired," Ryan said. "Just not many."

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