Former Eagles Head Coach Buddy Ryan has Passed at 82

Former NFL head coach and influential defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan has died, agent James Solano confirmed Tuesday. He was 82.

Ryan, who coached in the NFL for 35 seasons, was known for building some of football's top defenses behind a relentlessness that focused on creating havoc on the field.

He was on the defensive staff of the Super Bowl-winning New York Jets in Super Bowl III in 1968. The Chicago Bears carried Ryan off the field next to coach Mike Ditka after Ryan's vaunted "46 Defense" helped the Bears destroy the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX.

He later was head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals and finished his career with a 55-55-1 coaching record. His son, Rex, was on his dad's staff for two years with the Cardinals in the 1990s.

Besides his legendary stay in Chicago, Buddy Ryan also was a defensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings and Houston Oilers. His stay in Houston was tarnished when the then-59-year-old Ryan took a swing at then-offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride on the sideline during a game.

Rex Ryan is entering his second season as coach of the Buffalo Bills. His other son, Rob, is the Bills' assistant head coach/defense.