Ryan Slowik enters his fourth season with the Cardinals now coaching outside linebackers after joining the organization on 3/2/09. The seventh-year NFL assistant came to the Cardinals in 2009 after working four seasons with the Denver Broncos. Slowik joined the Broncos in 2005 as a defensive assistant and worked two seasons in that capacity before working as a special teams assistant in 2007 and as the assistant defensive backs coach in 2008.
In 2007, Slowik assisted veteran NFL special teams coach Scott O’Brien in the instruction of Denver’s special teams. Broncos kicker Jason Elam became the first kicker since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger to convert four walk-off, game winning field goals in the same season with two in regulation and two in overtime. In 2005-06, Slowik worked closely with the Broncos defensive backs as cornerback Champ Bailey was the runner-up for NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2006 after tying for the NFL lead with 10 interceptions and leading the league with 11 takeaways.
In 2005, Denver’s secondary totaled 20 interceptions, the most by the team in four years. Bailey was named first-team All-Pro and joined safety John Lynch in being selected to the Pro Bowl.
A former strong safety in college at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (2002-03), Slowik began his playing career at Youngstown State before transferring to UW-Oshkosh.
Slowik worked as an assistant secondary coach for UW-Oshkosh in 2004. His secondary played a key role in the Titans posting the ninth best turnover margin in Division III that season.
Slowik’s father, Bob, is a 19-year NFL assistant who currently is the defensive backs coach for the Washington Redskins.
Slowik was born in Gainesville, FL and attended Adlai Stevenson (Lincolnshire, IL) High School. He and his wife, Valerie, have a son, Tye and a daughter, Averie.