Rex Ryan has heard the same criticism for years: that his father, Buddy Ryan, made his career. Buddy Ryan won two Super Bowls as an assistant coach, and Rex worked under him early on. Since then, many have said that connection helped him get ahead. Now, years after leaving the Jets, Rex is responding to those critics and explaining why he thinks the claim is unfair.

“And that’s, and that’s where it started,” Ryan said on the Bussin’ With The Boys. “I was coaching D line and then linebackers, so. And here’s the great thing, ’cause, “Oh, nepotism. You got the job because of nepotism.” Yeah, no, no sh-t. I sure did. You know? But I think we were number one and number two in the league in defense, so that nepotism was thrown out the window.”

He started as a graduate assistant at Eastern Kentucky in 1987 and 1988, then moved to New Mexico Highlands in 1989 and Morehead State from 1990 to 1993. The NFL came next, with two seasons on his father’s Arizona Cardinals staff in 1994 and 1995, first coaching the defensive line and then the linebackers.

Those Cardinals teams were strong on defense. In 1994, they ranked in the top five in every major defensive category and third overall. They picked off 23 passes that year, which tied for the league lead, and allowed just 4,408 yards, the third fewest in the NFL and Arizona’s best defensive ranking in 25 years.

After two seasons with the Cardinals, Rex spent three years back in college football, coaching defenses that stood out there too.

The turning point, by his own telling, came in 1999. Brian Billick brought him to the Baltimore Ravens, and Rex says that moment changed how people saw him.

“When Brian Billick called me to come coach the defensive line for him, I got right back in, and I was there on my own merits,” Rex Ryan said. “I think from that point on, all the nepotism stuff and all that [disappeared]. Now, I’m Rex Ryan. I just happen to be Buddy Ryan’s son.”

He coached the Ravens’ defensive line for six seasons. In 2000, his unit ranked first against the run and second in total defense, and Baltimore beat the Giants easily in Super Bowl XXXV.

Over his full 10 years with the team, Baltimore ranked first in run defense, points allowed per game, takeaways, and third-down conversions, second in total defense, and fourth in sacks.

Then came the Jets, where he went 46-50, including 4-2 in the playoffs, before being let go after the 2014 season. In 2015, he joined the Bills, and the nepotism talk followed him again.

This time it landed on his twin brother Rob, who got the job on Rex’s staff. Rob addressed it directly with Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com.

“I heard this one the other day: Well, it’s nepotism. Nepotism?” he said. “I’ve been in this league 20 years. I have coordinated the last 12 years in a row.”

Rex’s overall head coaching record ended at 65 wins and 68 losses, a .489 winning percentage. That includes 61 wins and 66 losses in the regular season and 4 wins and 2 losses in the postseason. Sean McDermott took over in Buffalo and had the Bills in the playoffs in 2017, his first season.

Rex, meanwhile, moved to television. After his dismissal in 2016, he signed with ESPN to work the Super Bowl LI pregame and postgame shows, and he has stayed on as an analyst, including on Sunday NFL Countdown.

Whatever people think about where he started, Rex has spent decades making sure his resume speaks for itself.