In the least-surprising move since the NFL regular season came to a conclusion, the Washington Redskins have scooped up former Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera. Fired just ahead of Week 14, Rivera has been one of the loudest coach prospects since his termination.
The #Redskins are making Ron Rivera their new coach and giving him a 5-year deal, sources say. A big commitment.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 31, 2019
After nine years with the Panthers, two-time coach of the year Rivera was heavily courted once he hit the market this past fall. A report from NFL.com quoted Rivera post-firing, saying, “I was fortunate that I had an owner who stuck with me past the second year […] It takes three-to-five years to completely change a culture. It’s about making sure, first of all, that everybody understands what the intent and what the vision is. Then you have to map out how you’re gonna get there. And as you start to do that, you’ve got to find out who’s in and who’s not in.”
Washington Redskins Hire Ron Rivera
Rivera’s reputation as a player proceeds his coaching career. A nine-year tenure as a linebacker for the Chicago Bears, Rivera was the first player of Puerto Rican descent to play on a Super Bowl championship team in 1985, when the Bears conquered the New England Patriots.
After a brief hiatus from the locker room, during which he worked in television as a Bears and college football analyst, he rejoined his old squad in 1997 as a defensive quality control coach. Since then, he has served with the Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and former San Diego Chargers in linebackers coaching and defensive coordinator positions, before accepting his head coaching position with the Panthers.
Rivera’s record as a head coach is 76-63-1 in the regular season, and he has said he’s ready to walk into a new franchise with the goals of building a culture that meets his standards in mind. While he’s spent the last several weeks enjoying time with family over the holiday season, reports have made it clear that he’s ready to hop back into the saddle, and start racking up championships as a coach.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
