Former NFL head coach Rex Ryan surrendered to police in Nashville, Tennessee, on Wednesday on six misdemeanor warrants tied to a hit-and-run that left two pedestrians with minor injuries earlier this month.
Ryan, 63, is charged with two counts of leaving the scene of an accident, two counts of failure to give information or render aid, and two counts of failure to obey a traffic control signal. A judicial commissioner set his bond at $6,000, and jail records show he was released early Wednesday morning, ABC7 New York reported.
For fans who know Ryan as the loud, comic presence on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown,” the arrest is a sharp turn. The network said only: “We are aware and are in touch with Rex.” Ryan has not commented publicly, and online court records did not list an attorney for him.
What police say happened
The crash happened shortly before midnight on Nov. 5 at 4th Avenue and Broadway, the downtown strip known for its bars and live music. Two pedestrians were crossing Broadway from 4th Avenue with a walk sign when Ryan’s pickup truck turned right from 4th Avenue, running over both victims’ feet and striking one person’s leg, according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
The truck kept going. It stopped at a red light at Broadway and Representative John Lewis Way, where the pedestrians waved down the driver. They told police he got out, argued with them, got back in and drove away. The victims photographed the truck’s license plate, which police said was registered to Ryan, and the driver.
The case was built from photographs taken by the victims, not from a police stop. The pedestrians caught up to the truck at a red light a block away, photographed the license plate and the driver, and gave both to police.
Ryan coached in the NFL for more than two decades. He was the New York Jets’ head coach from 2009 to 2014 and the Buffalo Bills’ from 2015 to 2016, finishing with a 61-66 record in New York, according to FOX 5. He led the Jets to the AFC Championship games in 2009 and 2010 and won Super Bowl XXXV as the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator. He joined ESPN as an analyst in 2017 and appears on “Sunday NFL Countdown.”
Another NFL figure faced a misdemeanor case after a traffic altercation last month, when Dez Bryant was cited in Texas. ESPN has previously dealt with on-air conduct issues involving its analysts, including the firing of Ryan Clark.
What charges does Rex Ryan face? Six misdemeanor counts: two each of leaving the scene of an accident, failure to give information or render aid, and failure to obey a traffic control signal. His bond was set at $6,000.
Ryan’s next court date has not been announced. ESPN has not said whether he will appear on the program while the case is pending. The two pedestrians suffered minor injuries, police said.
