Ray Rhodes is a former American football player and coach who had a successful career in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas Western College (now known as the University of Texas at El Paso) and was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1974 NFL Draft.
Rhodes played safety for the Giants for four seasons before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 1977. He played for the 49ers for two seasons before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1979. Rhodes played for the Eagles for three seasons before retiring as a player in 1982.
After retiring as a player, Rhodes began his coaching career as a defensive assistant for the Eagles in 1986. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1991 and helped lead the Eagles to the playoffs in each of his four seasons in that role.
In 1995, Rhodes was hired as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers. He led the team to a 9-7 record in his first season and was named the NFL Coach of the Year. However, the team struggled in his second season and he was fired after a 8-8 record.
Rhodes was then hired as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1995. He led the team to a 10-6 record in his first season and was named the NFL Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. He coached the Eagles for four seasons before being fired after a 3-13 record in 1998.
Rhodes then served as the defensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins in 2000 before being hired as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers in 2001. He coached the team for two seasons before being fired after a 12-20 record.
Rhodes then served as the defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos in 2003 before being hired as the head coach of the Detroit Lions in 2004. He coached the team for one season before being fired after a 5-11 record.
Rhodes retired from coaching after the 2004 season and has since worked as a television analyst for NFL games. He is widely regarded as one of the best defensive coaches in NFL history and was inducted into the Texas Western College Hall of Fame in 1999.
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