Former Bear Ron Rivera fired as head coach of Washington Commanders
ASHBURN, Va. (CBS/AP) -- Former Chicago Bears linebacker and defensive coordinator Ron Rivera was fired Monday as coach of the Washington Commanders, a long-anticipated move new owners made as they put their stamp on the NFL franchise they bought last year.
This was just the first of several changes coming to an organization that has won just two playoff games over the past three decades. The fourth and final season under Rivera finished with eight consecutive losses, a 4-13 record and a 38-10 home loss to division-rival Dallas with Washington's home stadium full of Cowboys fans.
"Clearly, we weren't good enough this year," controlling owner Josh Harris said at a news conference at the team's practice facility. "We didn't get it done on the field, and so we've decided to go into a new direction."
Rivera's firing came as no surprise to anyone, including the veteran coach who went 26-40-1 with Washington, including one playoff appearance in 2020 for finishing atop an uncharacteristically weak NFC East at 7-9 and never having a winning season.
If Rivera does not get another head coaching job in the league, he'll finish exactly one game under .500 at 102-103-2 in the regular season.
"We did win an NFC East title in 2020, but we fell short since then, and for that, I am truly disappointed," Rivera said in a statement released by the team. "It wasn't easy and there is a lot more to be done, but I believe we began to change the culture of this organization in meaningful ways."
Co-owners Mitch Rales, Magic Johnson and David Blitzer and well as former NBA executive Bob Myers and ex-Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman will work with Harris in the searches for a head of football personnel and coach. After Dan Snyder hired Rivera four years ago to do both jobs, ownership is now expected to split those responsibilities, though Harris said he'd be flexible given the candidates available — a group that could include Michigan's Jim Harbaugh, a Bears quarterback from 1987 through 1993.
Rivera was hired by Snyder on New Year's Day 2020, less than a month after the veteran coach was fired by the Carolina Panthers, whom he coached to the Super Bowl in the 2015 season. He was handed control in the aftermath of a chaotic era led by president Bruce Allen, which also included plenty of off-field misconduct that Rivera was forced to answer for as the voice of the organization.
Tumultuous times were the norm, from two team name changes and eight starting quarterbacks to the allegations of sexual harassment in the workplace before Rivera's arrival coming to light in the summer of 2020. Rivera was diagnosed with a form of skin cancer before that season started, and the well-respected former linebacker working through treatment became a source of inspiration for Washington when it made the playoffs.
"To be with somebody through a crucial part of their life and see how he battled that, that's something you'll never forget," running back Antonio Gibson said. "And he was still there for us throughout that process, so we'll always have love for him."
Asked what he's proudest of from his time in Washington, Rivera cited team culture and otherwise tried to block out talk about his uncertain future.
"To me it's always been exciting, a thrill and a honor to be on the field in the NFL," Rivera said last week. "There's only 32 of these jobs, there's only 32 of these teams and you always appreciate that opportunity."