Former Cal LB Ron Rivera relieved of duties as HC of Carolina Panthers

Former Cal LB Ron Rivera was relieved of his duties as Carolina Panthers HC. He has 76-63-1 with a win percentage of 54.6%. Rivera also is a 2-time AP NFL Coach of the year in 2013 & 2015.

Ron Rivera’s football career began in Seaside, California at Seaside High School. He would then play his collegiate football at the University of California, Berkeley. He would lead the team in tackles from his sophomore to junior year while setting records in sacks, tackles for loss and tackles, some of which have been broken since. Rivera still holds the single season tackles for loss. In 1983 he was named the Pac-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named as an All-American in 1983 and drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 1984 draft. He would play his entire career for the Bears from 1984 to 1992, and winning Superbowl XX, before hanging up his cleats.

Rivera was appointed as the head coach of the Panthers in 2011 after serving as the defensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers from 2008-2010 under Norv Turner. His coaching career began as a Defensive quality control coach with the Chicago Bears in 1997. From there he became the Linebackers coach for the Philadelphia eagles in 1999, then headed back to the Bears as the Defensive coordinator in 2004. Rivera’s contract ran out with the Bears and was then signed as the linebackers coach with the Chargers in 2007. Defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell was let go by the Chargers the following season and Ron was promoted to the open position.

Riverboat Ron will be in high demand this offseason in the NFL, and possibly in the college ranks if he ever wanted to make the change. Maybe one day Coach!

And with that. Go Bears.