Iowa's Ryan Mahaffey Rises From UNI to Eagles Coaching Role

An Iowa native who once planned to trade the football field for a courtroom is now making his mark at the highest level of the game. Ryan Mahaffey, the new run game coordinator and tight ends coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, credits his home state and a legendary University of Northern Iowa coach for setting him on a path he never expected.

A Familiar Voice Changed Everything

It was the spring of 2013. Mahaffey was back at his alma mater in Cedar Falls, preparing for the next chapter after his NFL playing career had stalled. A brief stint as a fullback with Baltimore, Indianapolis, and Miami over the 2011 and 2012 seasons had not gone as planned. The cerebral Iowa native had already taken his LSAT and was ready to head to law school.

Then he heard a voice he could never forget.