Ron Rivera

Ron Rivera: biography

Ron Rivera is a football coach with a brilliant career. At the start, he played football in a team while studying in a college. The sportsman has led his last team the Carolina Panthers to Super Bowl. He is named one of the most talented coaches.

Childhood and youth

Speaking of his background, the sportsman was born in Fort Ord, California. His mother's name is Dolores. Just because his father, Eugenio Rivera was a military man, Ron's family had to change the place of residence very often.

The boy got an education in military bases. After the family settled in central California, Ron started his studies in the Seaside High School. During his school years, he was interested in sports and played for a football team.

Ron had a brother Mickey, he died from cancer in 2015.

Football playing career

During his college years, Ron demonstrated his talent in sports after he was given a football scholarship to California. He was noted for his high scores and for leading the Golden Bears in tackles as a player.

Ron has set several records, and he became a professional sportsman, he started to play for the Chicago Bears. In 1985, Ron showed great results in Super Bowl XX. It should be noted that he was the first Puerto Rican sportsman who performed in a Super Bowl, and he was very proud of it.

Coaching career

In 1993, the sportsman started to work as a TV analyst. Three years later, he got a job, working with Bears as a defensive quality control coach.

A couple of years later, Andy Reid invited Rivera to join his own staff with the team Philadelphia Eagles. During Ron’s tenure, the team reached the NFC championship for three consecutive seasons.

In January, 2004, Ron became the defensive coordinator of the Bears. As a result, the team defense was spoken to be one of the best in the NFL. As a coach, Ron was named a great professional who led the team to high results. The year 2006 was not so successful as the previous one. However, the team has managed to show excellent scores in general performing in the league.

After the success, Ron got recognition among franchises looking for new head coaches. He received many offers. Eventually, in February, 2007, it was announced that Ron's contract with the Bears would not be renewed. After he left the team, he was hired by the San Diego Chargers. Working with the team, Rom again proved his talent as a coach.

In January, 2011, he became the fourth head coach of the Carolina Panthers. During his first year, the team collected high scores and finished third in the division. In 2012, the Panthers finished second in the division. At the end of the 2012 season, Ron was going to leave his position.

The coach was known to have conservative philosophy that was demonstrated in a game against the Buffalo Bills. After some time, Ron became more aggressive. It was noted by many sports critics in a match against New York Giants when he went for the touchdown instead of a field goal. His team finished the season with the victory, and Ron was honored as the 2013 AP NFL Coach of the Year. In 2015, the team had the best season in franchise history. In January, 2018, Ron signed a two-year contract extension, because he had to improve the results of the team and to reach better results.

One of the latest news is the dismissal of Ron from the coach position. On December 3, 2019, it was announced that the Panthers fired Rivera. Ron is named the winningest head coach in Panthers franchise history with one of the highest stats. The team members shared their feelings on Twitter and other social media, expressing their gratitude and respect for Ron.

Ron held the press conference during which he gave an emotional speech. He said thanked every team member. Ron demonstrated his admiration for the young sportsmen, saying that it was a big honor for him to be their coach. Later, on his Twitter, Ron wrote that he forgot to thank the media for the way they treated him and his family. He also spoke about his desire to continue coaching people and winning football games, and hopefully, winning a Super Bowl.

Personal life

The sportsman is a married man. With his wife, Stephanie, he has two children: a son and a daughter. Stephanie is a sportswoman; she worked as an assistant coach. The family had an accident when in 2015 their home caught on fire. Luckily, everybody was saved.

The sportsman has a net worth estimated at $10 million. At the peak of his career coaching for the Carolina Panthers, Ron Rivera's annual base salary was $7 million.

Achievements and awards

As player

• Super Bowl champion (XX)
• East-West Shrine Game MVP (1984)
• Consensus All-American (1983)
• Pop Warner Trophy (1983)
• Pac-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Year (1983)

Coach career

• 2× AP NFL Coach of the Year (2013, 2015)
• 2× PFWA NFL Coach of the Year (2013, 2015)
• PFWA NFL Assistant Coach of the Year (2005)