Eagles Say ‘So Long, Buddy’ : NFL: Despite a winning record, coach is fired after Philadelphia loses first-round playoff game for third straight year.

Coach Buddy Ryan was fired today by the Philadelphia Eagles, three days after his team lost its first-round NFL playoff game for the third year in a row.

“I’ve been fired before, but usually it was for losing” seasons rather than getting teams into the playoffs, Ryan said at a news conference.

Ryan, who took over the Eagles in 1986 and turned them into a playoff team by 1988, had another month remaining on his five-year contract. Eagles owner Norman Braman praised Ryan’s record, but said it wasn’t good enough.

“This obviously is not an easy decision to make,” Braman said. “Buddy Ryan has done a good job with this football team. I feel, however, that in order for the Philadelphia Eagles to ascend to the next plateau, a change in coaching is necessary.”

Ryan’s dismissal seemed a foregone conclusion after the Eagles’ demoralizing 20-6 playoff loss last Saturday to Washington.

In the third quarter, with Washington ahead 13-6, Ryan benched Randall Cunningham in favor of little-used Jim McMahon, who came in and threw three incomplete passes. Cunningham returned for the Eagles’ next series.

After the game, Braman said, “Seven points behind and he embarrasses Randall before a national television audience.”

Ryan said he was trying to get something started for the Eagles’ sputtering offense.

The coach said he wants another job in pro football. “I’m looking for a job. If any of you know a team that needs a coach who can win, let me know,” Ryan said.

In his five seasons, Ryan led the Eagles to the NFC East title once (in 1988) and had a 43-35-1 record. But the record that may have cost Ryan his job was 0-3 in playoff games.

Ryan’s firing leaves three NFL coaching vacancies, the other two being at Cleveland and Tampa Bay. The New England Patriots filled their head coaching vacancy Monday by hiring Dick MacPherson away from Syracuse.

Contacted in Atlanta where he was attending a league meeting, Dallas Coach Jimmy Johnson said of Ryan’s firing: “It’s a shock . . . that’s something. But I’m sure he’ll be in the profession somewhere again. Buddy had a different coaching style and he tended to get under other coaches’ skin and that’s what happened in my case.”

Johnson was 0-4 against Ryan in head-to-head meetings which were spiced by the infamous “Bounty Bowl” on Thanksgiving Day, 1989. In that game, Johnson accused Ryan of having a bounty on kicker Luis Zendejas and quarterback Troy Aikman.