 Rex Ryan and his fraternal twin , Rob , were born in Ardmore , Oklahoma , on December 13 , 1962 , to Doris and Buddy Ryan . When the boys were aged two , their parents amicably divorced . Following the divorce , their mother attended the University of Chicago to earn her doctorate . Rex , Rob and their older brother Jim moved with her to Toronto , Ontario , Canada , where she secured an administrative position at the University of Toronto . During the course of his upbringing , Rex wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father , a defensive pioneer in the NFL known for developing the 46 defense , and by age six Rex and Rob knew they wanted to pursue coaching careers . 
