Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan

Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan talks to reporters after an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Bills won 22-17. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Orchard Park, N.Y. — Rex Ryan has a knack for getting a rise out of people.

Even this week when he's attempted to be subdued before the Buffalo Bills' Week 17 game against the New York Jets he slipped in a comment that got some people angry at him.

"But just to get a win, I don't care if we're playing East Carolina, you want to get a win, there's no question about it."

Ryan's dad Buddy made a similar comment when he has a head coach, noting that there are "No East Carolinas in the NFL."

As you might expect, East Carolina didn't take too kindly to the jab. According to WNCN in North Carolina, a former chair of the East Carolina Alumni Association, wrote Ryan an angry letter.

When he learned of the backlash Thursday, Ryan was a bit taken aback.

"First off, I didn't mean to offend East Carolina by any stretch of the imagination," Ryan said. "As you guys know, I've used the Toronto Argonauts before, I've used Orchard Park, Summit High School, all the high schools, whoever it was. Oklahoma, Southwest, I've used them all, so I certainly didn't mean anything by it."

Reminded that he lost the only time he ever coached against East Carolina, Ryan laughed. He still remembers the game.

"I'm still scarred by it," Ryan joked. "You know what? I remember that. I think we won nine or 10 games that year but we lost to East Carolina in a driving rain storm."