Ron Rivera enters his 25th season coaching in the NFL and his second as Washington's head coach in 2021.
He was named the 30th head coach in franchise history on Jan. 1, 2020 and led Washington to their first division title since 2015. During the 2020 season Rivera was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) located in a lymph node and detected from a self-care check. Rivera continued to coach through his treatments and on January 28, 2021, he was declared cancer free. Rivera was selected as the NFC Coach of the Year by the Committee of 101 following the 2020 season.
A friend of legendary head coach Joe Gibbs, Rivera is a passionate and skilled leader who has earned the respect of his players, coaching staff and the community. He most recently served as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers for nine seasons, where he led the team to three straight divisional titles and an appearance in Super Bowl 50. Rivera was also recognized twice as the NFL Coach of the Year by the Associated Press in 2013 and in 2015.
Rivera inherited a 2-14 Carolina Panthers team as a rookie head coach in 2011 and guided it back to an NFC force with four playoffs appearances since 2013, tied for the second-most playoff berths in the NFC over that six-year period. In that span, the Panthers recorded 58 wins, tied for the most in any six-year period in their franchise history and fifth-most in the NFL.
In 2015, Carolina won its second NFC Championship in franchise history, third consecutive NFC South division title and appeared in Super Bowl 50. Carolina finished the season with a franchise-best 17-2 record, including home playoff victories over Seattle in the divisional round and Arizona in the NFC Championship game.
Hired by the Panthers for his defensive expertise, Rivera did not disappoint as the Panthers put together five top-10 finishes in total defense in seven seasons from 2012-18. Like Rivera, the Panthers' rebound has been steady and solid, starting with six wins in his first season in 2011 and seven victories in 2012 before registering three consecutive division championships starting in 2013 when he earned his first Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year award. Laying a foundation that included back-to-back Rookie of the Year award winners in quarterback Cam Newton and linebacker Luke Kuechly, Rivera blended veteran and young talent into productive units on both sides of the ball.
Rivera helped lead a Panthers team that finished among the league's top 10 rushing offenses, including top-five finishes in 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2018. The Panthers recorded 30 consecutive regular season games with at least 100 rushing yards from Week 6 of 2014 to Week 3 of 2016, the longest streak in the NFL since Pittsburgh tallied 43 from 1974-77.
Carolina's run defense ranked in the top 10 of the NFL in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Starting in Week 14 of 2016 through Week 1 of 2018, the Panthers went 21 consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard individual rusher, setting a franchise record.
In 2018, Rivera coached two players to All-Pro selections. Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey earned AP All-Pro second-team honors as he helped the Panthers lead the NFL in rushing yards per carry (5.1). McCaffrey also recorded 107 receptions, the most by any running back in a season in NFL history and broke Steve Smith's franchise record for single-season receptions by any player. He ran for 1,098 rushing yards, becoming the third player in NFL history with over 100 receptions and 1,000 rushing yards in the same season. McCaffrey accumulated a franchise-record 1,965 scrimmage yards, ranking third in the NFL.
Linebacker Luke Kuechly earned his sixth-straight Pro Bowl selection and fifth AP All-Pro first-team honor, tied for the most among active players. Kuechly tied for third in the NFL with 20 tackles for loss. In 2017, the rushing attack helped propel the team to an 11-5 record and a Wild Card berth by averaging 131.4 yards on the ground, good for fourth in the league.
In 2015, Rivera was named NFL Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons as his team earned its third consecutive NFC South title and claimed the top seed in the NFC for the first time in Panthers franchise history. The Panthers became just the seventh team in the Super Bowl era to post a 15-1 or better record in the regular season. Carolina started 2015 with 14 consecutive victories, which, combined with four wins to close the 2014 regular season, gave the Panthers an NFC-record 18-game winning streak.
Rivera's Panthers went 12-4 and won the NFC South in 2013, Carolina's first division title since 2008. The Panthers then recovered from a 3-8-1 start in 2014 to win four in a row and capture a second consecutive NFC South crown. Prior to Rivera's arrival, Carolina had never reached the postseason in consecutive years, and no team had captured the NFC South twice in a row.
Rivera arrived in Carolina with a reputation for hard work, attention to detail and preparation. Those were also the qualities he exhibited in his first campaign as the Panthers tripled their win total from the previous season. Rivera did not even meet his team until they reported to training camp and, despite a slow start, held it together to finish with four wins in the final six games.
Rivera has shined as a coach and player during his 30-plus years in the NFL, serving as defensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers' top-ranked defense in 2010 and playing linebacker for the Chicago Bears' top-ranked defense and Super Bowl XX championship team in 1985. In 23 seasons as a coach and nine as a player, he has been with teams that have reached the playoffs 19 times, including nine conference championships and three Super Bowls. The mentality of the Chargers defense that Rivera coached and the Bears defense on which he played has stuck with the head coach, and he has transferred it to his teams.
Rivera's character has been influenced by two innovative defensive coordinators. As a player, Rivera was coached by the late Buddy Ryan, the architect of the "46 Defense," which involved blitzing on nearly every down. As a coach, Rivera toiled under the late Jim Johnson, a highly regarded defensive coordinator renowned for his aggressive approach.
Rivera's identity also has been shaped by his family. The son of a U.S. Army officer and the second youngest of four boys, Rivera learned from a young age about chain of command and many of the principles he teaches and expects from his players. "I come from a military family where discipline isn't taught, it's lived. It's expected from day one. I have a philosophy that every player, every coach, everyone who works for this organization, they'll know it day one," Rivera said in his introductory press conference with Washington on Jan. 2.
Rivera worked with the Chargers from 2007-10. He coached inside linebackers before taking over as the team's defensive coordinator midway through the 2008 season. Under Rivera's guidance, the pass defense steadied itself – intercepting nine passes and yielding 229.6 passing yards per game and 11 touchdown passes over the final eight games. Those numbers contrasted to the first half of the season when San Diego notched just seven picks and was victimized for 265.1 yards per game and 14 touchdowns through the air. In Rivera's first full season leading the defense in 2009, the Chargers ranked 16th in total defense and 11th against the pass. Those rankings improved in 2010 as San Diego led the NFL with an average of 271.6 total yards allowed per game and gave up a league-low 177.8 passing yards per game. From 2004-06, Rivera oversaw the Chicago Bears defense, engineering the unit to two top-five finishes in the league. Under Rivera's direction, five different defensive players went to the Pro Bowl: linebacker Lance Briggs, safety Mike Brown, defensive tackle Tommie Harris, linebacker Brian Urlacher and cornerback Nathan Vasher.
In his first season as a defensive coordinator in 2004, Rivera presided over a defense that produced nine more takeaways and 17 more sacks than the previous year and scored a franchise-record and NFC-high six defensive touchdowns. The Bears also thrived on third down and buckled down inside their own 20-yard line, ranking first in the NFL in third-down efficiency (30.5 percent) and topping the NFC in red zone defense (42.6 percent). The following year, Chicago continued to build on the foundation Rivera laid in 2004. The Bears won their first of two consecutive NFC North titles and stood second in the NFL in total defense. In surrendering the fewest points in the league, Rivera's defense went 43 consecutive quarters without allowing more than seven points – the longest streak in the NFL since 1969. During Rivera's last season with the Bears in 2006, the defense paced the NFL with 44 takeaways and finished fifth in the league in total defense and third in scoring defense, helping propel Chicago to the NFC Championship and an appearance in Super Bowl XLI.
Prior to becoming a defensive coordinator, Rivera spent five seasons from 1999-2003 as the linebackers coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, who advanced to the NFC Championship game in each of his final three seasons. Twice during Rivera's tenure with the Eagles, the team finished second in the NFL in scoring defense and in 2001 held all 16 of its opponents to fewer than 21 points – making them just the fourth team in NFL history to do so.
Rivera gained his first coaching experience with the Bears as a defensive quality control coach from 1997-98. He is just the third Latino head coach in NFL history, joining Tom Flores with the Oakland Raiders from 1979-87 and Seattle Seahawks from 1992-94 and Tom Fears with the New Orleans Saints from 1967-70.
Following retirement from his playing career, Rivera went into broadcasting. He covered the Bears and college football as a television analyst for WGN and SportsChannel Chicago for four years from 1993-96.
Selected in the second round of the 1984 NFL Draft by Chicago, Rivera played all nine of his pro seasons with the Bears. Primarily an outside linebacker, he appeared in 149 games with 62 starts (including 12 postseason contests with six starts) and posted 392 tackles, 7.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, nine interceptions and 15 passes defensed. Rivera was a member of six NFC Central division title teams and a Super Bowl XX championship team in 1985.
As a player, Rivera was known for both his skill and determination on the field and his dedication of time and energy to the community. As a result, he was named the Bears' Man of the Year in 1988 and earned the club's Ed Block Courage Award in 1989. He has carried that same community commitment to coaching, sponsoring a bowling tournament to benefit the Ronald McDonald House, USO and Humane Society. He was a finalist for the 2017 Salute to Service Award, an annual award presented to NFL players, coaches, personnel and alumni who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to honoring and supporting the military community.
Rivera, who lost his brother Mickey to pancreatic cancer in 2015, also serves as a spokesman for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. He has twice been the honorary starter for the organization's PurpleStride 5K in Charlotte. An All-American at the University of California, Rivera finished his career as the school's all-time leader in sacks with 22 and tackles with 336. As a senior in 1983, he set the Bears' single-season record for sacks with 13 and tackles for loss with 26.5.
Born Jan. 7, 1962, in Fort Ord, Calif., Rivera lived in Germany, Panama, Washington and Maryland before his family settled in Marina, Calif. He attended Seaside High School in Seaside, Calif., and was a three-sport star in football, basketball and baseball. Rivera and his wife, Stephanie, have two children, Christopher and Courtney. Stephanie is a former assistant coach for the WNBA's Washington Mystics.
2020: Head Coach, Washington Redskins
2011-19: Head Coach, Carolina Panthers
2008-10: Defensive Coordinator, San Diego Chargers
2007-08: Inside Linebackers, San Diego Chargers
2004-06: Defensive Coordinator, Chicago Bears
1999-03: Linebackers, Philadelphia Eagles
1997-98: Defensive Quality Control, Chicago Bears
1984-92: Linebacker, Chicago Bears
1980-1983: Linebacker, University of California, Berkeley
