Ron Rivera - wikipedia Ron Rivera This article is about the American football coach. For the public health innovator, see Ron Rivera ( public health ). Ron Rivera Rivera in 2016 Carolina Panthers Position : Head coach Date of birth : ( 1962 - 01 - 07 ) January 7, 1962 ( age 55 ) Place of birth : Fort Ord, California Height : 6 ft 3 in ( 1.91 m ) Weight : 235 lb ( 107 kg ) Career information High school : Seaside ( CA ) College : California NFL Draft : 1984 / Round : 2 / Pick : 44 Career history As player : Chicago Bears ( 1984 -- 1992 ) As coach : Chicago Bears ( 1997 -- 1998 ) Defensive quality control coach Philadelphia Eagles ( 1999 -- 2003 ) Linebackers coach Chicago Bears ( 2004 -- 2006 ) Defensive coordinator San Diego Chargers ( 2007 ) Linebackers coach San Diego Chargers ( 2008 -- 2010 ) Defensive coordinator Carolina Panthers ( 2011 -- present ) Head coach Career highlights and awards As player Super Bowl champion : ( XX ) NFC champion : ( 1985 ) Consensus All - American : ( 1983 ) Pop Warner Trophy : ( 1983 ) As coach 2 × NFC champion ( 2006, 2015 ) 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 ) Career NFL statistics Quarterback sacks : 7.5 Interceptions : 9 Player stats at NFL.com Head coaching record Regular season : 55 -- 42 -- 1 (. 566 ) Postseason : 3 -- 3 (. 500 ) Career : 58 -- 45 -- 1 (. 563 ) Coaching stats at PFR Ronald Eugene Rivera ( born January 7, 1962 ) is an American football coach and former player who is the head coach of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League ( NFL ). Rivera played college football at the University of California in Berkeley, and was recognized as an All - American linebacker. He was selected in the second round of the 1984 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears, and was a backup on the 1985 team which won Super Bowl XX. As a coach, Rivera was the defensive coordinator for Bears in the 2006, who were NFC champions and competed in Super Bowl XLI. In 2011, he was named head coach of the Carolina Panthers. Rivera was recognized as the NFL Coach of the Year by the Associated Press in 2013 and in 2015. Since taking over the Panthers, he has led the team to three straight divisional titles, and an appearance in Super Bowl 50. Contents 1 Playing career 1.1 College career 1.2 Professional career 2 Coaching career 2.1 Philadelphia Eagles 2.2 Back in Chicago 2.3 San Diego Chargers 2.4 Carolina Panthers 2.5 Head coaching record 3 Personal life 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Playing career College career Rivera was granted a football scholarship to California, where he was a consensus All - American linebacker, leading the Golden Bears in tackles for his last three years as a player. He once held Cal 's all - time sack and career tackles records, and still holds the record for most tackles for loss in a season, set in 1983. Rivera was the MVP of the 1984 East - West Shrine Game. Professional career In the 1984 NFL draft, Rivera was selected in the second round by the Chicago Bears. During the 1985 season, he played in Super Bowl XX, where the Bears routed the New England Patriots, 46 -- 10. Rivera was the first Mexican / Puerto Rican to play on a Super Bowl championship team. He became the starter in 1988, serving for three seasons. Rivera played for the Bears for a total of nine seasons ( 1984 -- 1992 ). Coaching career In 1993, Rivera went to work for WGN - TV and SportsChannel Chicago as a TV analyst covering the Bears and college football. In 1996, he became a defense quality control coach for the Bears. Philadelphia Eagles In 1999, Rivera was named linebackers coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. During his tenure, the Eagles advanced to the NFC championship for three consecutive seasons. He is credited with developing linebacker Jeremiah Trotter into a two - time Pro Bowl performer. Back in Chicago On January 23, 2004, Rivera was named defensive coordinator of the Bears. In 2005, the Bears defense was rated second - best in the NFL. The Bears qualified for the NFC playoffs, losing in the second round to the Carolina Panthers, 29 -- 21. The 2005 performance of the Chicago Bears earned him consideration for Head Coach assignments from several NFL teams. In 2006, the Bears ' defensive efforts failed to match the success of their 2005 season. Nevertheless, the team was still a notable presence in league, finishing with the league 's third ranked and conference 's top - ranked points allowed category. The defense 's success earned Rivera recognition among franchises looking for new head coaches. The Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers interviewed him in January 2007. He was a candidate for the vacant Dallas Cowboys head coaching position, a job that ultimately went to San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. Rivera was named as a potential candidate to replace the fired Marty Schottenheimer in San Diego, but the job was filled by Norv Turner, the brother of fellow offensive coordinator, Ron Turner, Rivera 's offensive counterpart in Chicago. After the announcement, ESPN reported that the Bears were considering letting Rivera go. This came after several other teams interviewed him, and the negotiations between his representatives and the Bears were making little progress. On February 19, 2007, it was announced that Ron Rivera 's contract with the Bears would not be renewed. San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers hired Rivera as team 's inside linebackers coach after he left the Bears. On October 28, 2008, Rivera was promoted to defensive coordinator with the Chargers after the team released former defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell. Rivera had used the 4 -- 3 defense for most of his coaching career, but adopted a 3 -- 4 scheme with the Chargers. Carolina Panthers On January 11, 2011, Rivera was named the fourth head coach of the Carolina Panthers. He is the fifth Latino to be an NFL head coach, following former New Orleans Saints coach Tom Fears, former Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks coach Tom Flores, former New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts coach Jim E. Mora, and former Atlanta Falcons coach Jim L. Mora. During his first year as head coach, the Panthers went 6 -- 10 and finished third in the division. In 2012, the Panthers finished 7 -- 9 and finished second in the division. Following the 2012 season, Rivera was expected to be fired. Over the first 34 games of his coaching career, Rivera was known for exceptionally conservative decision - making that led to a 2 -- 14 record in games decided by less than a touchdown. Against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, Rivera decided to kick a field goal while up 3 points and facing a fourth and one deep inside the Bills territory late in the fourth quarter. The Bills proceeded to drive for a touchdown on their next drive, scoring on a touchdown pass with less than 20 seconds remaining in the game. With Carolina opening the 2013 season 0 -- 2, reports circled that the front office was already performing background checks on new potential head coach candidates. Rivera then changed his coaching philosophy and became a more aggressive coach. Facing a 4th and 1 from the two yard line in the first quarter against the also 0 -- 2 New York Giants in Week 3, Rivera went for the touchdown instead of a field goal. A Mike Tolbert run found the end zone, and Carolina ended up winning the game 38 -- 0. Over the next five games, the Panthers went for a first down five times in situations where conventional strategy called for a field goal attempt. They converted on four of them and ended each of those drives with touchdowns, all in wins. The lone failure was against the Cardinals when Brandon LaFell dropped a wide open pass across the middle from Cam Newton that would have resulted in a sure touchdown as well. This sudden aggression in his play - calling earned Rivera the nickname `` Riverboat Ron '', after Riverboat gamblers. Rivera has expressed discontent with the nickname, however, explaining he is `` a calculated risk taker '' not a gambler. He has since reverted to his conservative nature now that his job is no longer in jeopardy ; his Twitter nickname is `` RiverboatRonHC. '' The Panthers went 11 -- 1 to finish the season, including a then - franchise record eight - game winning streak, to win the NFC South title and make the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Rivera was honored as the 2013 AP NFL Coach of the Year. In Rivera 's fourth season as the Panthers ' coach, Carolina recovered from a 3 -- 8 -- 1 start to win its final four regular season games and clinch the NFC South championship for the second consecutive year. The Panthers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27 -- 16 in the NFC Wild Card playoff game for the team 's first playoff win since 2005. The team 's momentum would continue in 2015. The Panthers produced the best season in franchise history, and one of the best regular seasons in NFL history. The Panthers started the season 14 -- 0, the best regular - season start in franchise history. They ultimately finished 15 -- 1 ( their only loss was in week 16 in Atlanta, a 20 -- 13 defeat by the Falcons ), a franchise record for wins in a season, to clinch home - field advantage throughout the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Playoffs by a score of 31 -- 24, and routed the Arizona Cardinals with a 49 -- 15 victory in the NFC Championship Game, leading the Panthers to their second Super Bowl appearance. Rivera is the fifth man of color to lead a team to the Super Bowl. He was also recognized as the 2015 AP NFL Coach of the Year ; his second such honor of his career. On February 7, 2016, Rivera coached the Panthers in Super Bowl 50. The Panthers fell to the Denver Broncos by a score of 24 -- 10. Despite reaching the playoffs three years in a row from 2013 -- 2015, Rivera has been unable to produce back - to - back winning seasons as a head coach. Head coaching record Team Year Regular Season Post Season Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result CAR 2011 6 10 0. 375 3rd in NFC South -- -- -- -- CAR 2012 7 9 0. 438 2nd in NFC South -- -- -- -- CAR 2013 12 0. 750 1st in NFC South 0. 000 Lost to San Francisco 49ers in NFC Divisional Game CAR 2014 7 8. 469 1st in NFC South. 500 Lost to Seattle Seahawks in NFC Divisional Game CAR 2015 15 0. 938 1st in NFC South. 667 Lost to Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 CAR 2016 6 10 0. 375 4th in NFC South -- -- -- -- CAR 2017 0 0 1.000 TBD -- -- -- -- CAR Total 55 42. 566. 500 Total 55 42. 566. 500 Personal life Rivera has two children, a son, Christopher, and daughter, Courtney, with his wife, Stephanie, who is a former assistant coach for the WNBA 's Washington Mystics. In 2003, Rivera was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Cal ( University of California, Berkeley ) Sports Hall of Fame in 1994. On January 5, 2015, Rivera 's home in Charlotte, North Carolina, caught on fire. Everyone escaped the house without injuries. On July 28, 2015, Rivera 's brother Mickey died after a two - year battle with cancer. See also Puerto Rico portal Biography portal American football portal List of famous Puerto Ricans References Jump up ^ `` Ronald E Rivera in the California Birth Index, 1905 -- 1995 ''. Ancestry.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017. Jump up ^ Ron Rivera hired as Panthers ' coach. ESPN, 2011 - 01 - 11 Jump up ^ Foundation, National Football. `` Hall of Fame Candidate Capsule : Ron Rivera > National Football Foundation > NewsDetail ''. www.collegefootball.org. Jump up ^ Mayer, Larry ( 2014 - 01 - 12 ). `` Rivera, Harbaugh to clash in playoffs ''. Chicago Bears. Retrieved 2014 - 01 - 12. ^ Jump up to : `` 2005 Chicago Bears Statistics & Players ''. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2012 - 08 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Prisuta : Steelers assistant talks with Cardinals -- Pittsburgh Tribune - Review ''. Pittsburghlive.com. 2007 - 01 - 19. Retrieved 2012 - 08 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Brown : Is Rivera worth the wait ? -- Pittsburgh Tribune - Review ''. Pittsburghlive.com. 2007 - 01 - 19. Retrieved 2012 - 08 - 03. Jump up ^ John ClaytonNFL senior writerFollowArchive ( 2007 - 02 - 13 ). `` ESPN -- Do n't expect many big names in Chargers ' search -- NFL ''. Sports.espn.go.com. Retrieved 2012 - 08 - 03. Jump up ^ `` ESPN -- Chicago not retaining D - coordinator Rivera -- NFL ''. Sports.espn.go.com. 2007 - 02 - 19. Retrieved 2012 - 08 - 03. Jump up ^ `` NFL News, Videos, Scores, Teams, Standings, Stats -- FOX Sports on MSN ''. Msn.foxsports.com. Retrieved 2012 - 08 - 03. Jump up ^ John ClaytonNFL senior writerFollowArchive ( 2007 - 02 - 20 ). `` ESPN -- Rivera joins the Chargers as linebackers coach -- NFL ''. Sports.espn.go.com. Retrieved 2012 - 08 - 03. Jump up ^ `` ESPN -- Chargers fire Cottrell, name Rivera new defensive coordinator ''. Sports.espn.go.com. 2008 - 10 - 28. Retrieved 2012 - 08 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Ron Rivera expected to be fired today ''. NFL.com. December 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Pompei, Dan ( December 6, 2013 ). `` The Making of Riverboat Ron ''. Sports on Earth. Retrieved January 2, 2015. Jump up ^ Newton, David ( November 14, 2013 ). `` ' Riverboat Ron ' name catching on ''. ESPN. Retrieved January 2, 2015. Jump up ^ Newton, David ( October 15, 2013 ). `` Rivera calculated, not a Riverboat gambler ''. ESPN. Retrieved January 2, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Super Bowl 50 -- Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers -- February 7th, 2016 ''. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 7 August 2017. Jump up ^ `` Baseball Blue Jays : Recalled PPeter Munro from... ''. Jump up ^ Daniel, P.K. ( July 13, 2010 ). `` There 's more than one Rivera calling the shots ''. San Diego Union - Tribune. Retrieved February 7, 2016. Jump up ^ `` CalBears.com -- University of California Official Athletic Site ''. www.calbears.com. Jump up ^ EndPlay ( 5 January 2015 ). `` Fire causes $500 K damage at Panthers ' coach Ron Rivera 's home ''. Jump up ^ Newton, Michael ( July 28, 2015 ). `` Ron Rivera could miss start of Panthers camp after brother 's death he 's also mexican ''. ESPN. Retrieved July 29, 2015. External links Carolina Panthers bio Career statistics and player information from NFL.com Pro-Football - Reference Databasefootball.com Carolina Panthers head coaches Dom Capers ( 1995 -- 1998 ) George Seifert ( 1999 -- 2001 ) John Fox ( 2002 -- 2010 ) Ron Rivera ( 2011 -- ) Current head coaches of the National Football League American Football Conference AFC East AFC North AFC South AFC West Sean McDermott ( Buffalo Bills ) Adam Gase ( Miami Dolphins ) Bill Belichick ( New England Patriots ) Todd Bowles ( New York Jets ) John Harbaugh ( Baltimore Ravens ) Marvin Lewis ( Cincinnati Bengals ) Hue Jackson ( Cleveland Browns ) Mike Tomlin ( Pittsburgh Steelers ) Bill O'Brien ( Houston Texans ) Chuck Pagano ( Indianapolis Colts ) Doug Marrone ( Jacksonville Jaguars ) Mike Mularkey ( Tennessee Titans ) Vance Joseph ( Denver Broncos ) Andy Reid ( Kansas City Chiefs ) Anthony Lynn ( Los Angeles Chargers ) Jack Del Rio ( Oakland Raiders ) National Football Conference NFC East NFC North NFC South NFC West Jason Garrett ( Dallas Cowboys ) Ben McAdoo ( New York Giants ) Doug Pederson ( Philadelphia Eagles ) Jay Gruden ( Washington Redskins ) John Fox ( Chicago Bears ) Jim Caldwell ( Detroit Lions ) Mike McCarthy ( Green Bay Packers ) Mike Zimmer ( Minnesota Vikings ) Dan Quinn ( Atlanta Falcons ) Ron Rivera ( Carolina Panthers ) Sean Payton ( New Orleans Saints ) Dirk Koetter ( Tampa Bay Buccaneers ) Bruce Arians ( Arizona Cardinals ) Sean McVay ( Los Angeles Rams ) Kyle Shanahan ( San Francisco 49ers ) Pete Carroll ( Seattle Seahawks ) 1983 College Football All - America Team consensus selections Offense QB Steve Young RB Mike Rozier RB Bo Jackson RB Greg Allen RB Napoleon McCallum WR Irving Fryar TE Gordon Hudson OL Bill Fralic OL Terry Long OL Dean Steinkuhler OL Doug Dawson C Tony Slaton Defense DL Rick Bryan DL Reggie White DL William Perry DL William Fuller LB Ricky Hunley LB Wilber Marshall LB Ron Rivera LB Jeff Leiding DB Russell Carter DB Jerry Gray DB Terry Hoage DB Don Rogers Special teams PK Luis Zendejas P Jack Weil Pop Warner Trophy winners 1950 Pomeroy 1952 Sears 1953 B. Garrett 1954 Shaw 1955 Davenport 1956 Arnett 1957 Francis 1958 Kapp 1959 Burford 1960 Kilmer 1962 Baker 1963 Burke 1964 Morton 1965 M. Garrett 1966 Pifer 1967 Beban 1968 Simpson 1969 Parish 1970 Plunkett 1971 Siemon 1972 Rae 1973 Swann 1974 Davis 1975 Muncie 1976 Bell 1977 Benjamin 1978 Robinson 1979 White 1980 Margerum 1981 Allen 1982 Elway 1983 Rivera 1984 Del Rio 1985 Mayes 1986 Wyman 1988 Peete 1989 Ryan 1990 Lewis 1991 Vardell 1992 Milburn 1993 Morton 1994 Stenstrom 1995 Johnson 1996 Plummer 1997 Hicks 1998 McNown 1999 O'Neal 2000 Tuiasosopo 2002 Palmer 2003 Ball 2004 Arrington Pac - 12 Player of the Year winners Overall ( 1975 -- 1982 ) 1975 Muncie 1976 Bell 1977 Benjamin and Moon 1978 White 1979 White 1980 Elway 1981 Allen 1982 Elway and Ramsey Offensive ( 1983 -- present ) 1983 Pelluer 1984 Mayes 1985 Mayes 1986 Muster 1987 Aikman 1988 Peete 1989 Broussard 1990 G. Lewis 1991 Pawlawski and M. Bailey 1992 Bledsoe 1993 Stokes 1994 Kaufman 1995 K. Johnson 1996 Plummer 1997 Leaf 1998 McNown and A. Smith 1999 Walters 2000 Tuiasosopo 2001 Harrington 2002 Gesser and Palmer 2003 Leinart 2004 Bush and Leinart 2005 Bush 2006 Lynch 2007 Dixon 2008 Rodgers 2009 Gerhart 2010 Luck 2011 Luck 2012 Lee 2013 Carey 2014 Mariota 2015 McCaffrey 2016 Browning Defensive ( 1983 -- present ) 1983 Hunley and Rivera 1984 Bickett 1985 Walen 1986 Evans 1987 Cecil 1988 Wells 1989 Seau 1990 Emtman and D. Lewis 1991 Emtman 1992 Hoffmann 1993 Waldrop 1994 Fields 1995 Bruschi 1996 Chorak 1997 Tillman 1998 Claiborne 1999 O'Neal 2000 Archuleta 2001 R. Thomas 2002 Suggs 2003 Ball 2004 Cody and Swancutt 2005 Ngata and Robinson 2006 Hughes 2007 Ellis 2008 Maualuga 2009 Price 2010 Paea 2011 Kendricks 2012 Sutton 2013 Sutton 2014 Wright 2015 Buckner 2016 Jackson Freshman ( 1999 -- 2008 ) 1999 Kelly 2000 Suggs 2001 T. Johnson and R. Williams 2002 M. Williams 2003 Browner 2004 Miller 2005 Perry and M. Thomas 2006 Byrd, Mays and Verner 2007 Locker 2008 Rodgers Freshman Offensive ( 2009 -- present ) 2009 James 2010 Woods 2011 D. Thomas and Lee 2012 Mariota 2013 Jack 2014 Freeman 2015 Rosen 2016 Darnold Freshman Defensive ( 2009 -- present ) 2009 Burfict 2010 Onyeali 2011 D. Bailey 2012 L. Williams 2013 Jack 2014 Jackson 2015 C. Smith 2016 Rapp Chicago Bears 1984 NFL draft selections Wilber Marshall Ron Rivera Stefan Humphries Tom Andrews Brad Anderson Mark Casale Shaun Gayle Chicago Bears Super Bowl XX champions 4 Steve Fuller 6 Kevin Butler 8 Maury Buford 9 Jim McMahon 18 Mike Tomczak 20 Thomas Sanders 21 Leslie Frazier 22 Dave Duerson 23 Shaun Gayle 24 Jeff Fisher 26 Matt Suhey 27 Mike Richardson 29 Dennis Gentry 31 Ken Taylor 33 Calvin Thomas 34 Walter Payton 45 Gary Fencik 48 Reggie Phillips 50 Mike Singletary 51 Jim Morrissey 52 Cliff Thrift 53 Dan Rains 54 Brian Cabral 55 Otis Wilson 57 Tom Thayer 58 Wilber Marshall 59 Ron Rivera 60 Tom Andrews 62 Mark Bortz 63 Jay Hilgenberg 70 Henry Waechter 71 Andy Frederick 72 William Perry 73 Mike Hartenstine 74 Jim Covert 75 Stefan Humphries 76 Steve McMichael 78 Keith Van Horne 79 Kurt Becker 80 Tim Wrightman 81 James Maness 82 Ken Margerum 83 Willie Gault 84 Brian Baschnagel 85 Dennis McKinnon 86 Brad Anderson 87 Emery Moorehead 88 Pat Dunsmore 89 Mitch Krenk 95 Richard Dent ( MVP ) 96 Keith Ortego 98 Tyrone Keys 99 Dan Hampton Head coach : Mike Ditka Coaches : Dale Haupt Ed Hughes Steve Kazor Jim LaRue Ted Plumb Johnny Roland Buddy Ryan Dick Stanfel Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year Award winners 1957 : Wilson 1958 : Ewbank 1959 : Lombardi 1960 : Shaw 1961 : Sherman 1962 : Sherman 1963 : Halas 1964 : Shula 1965 : Halas 1966 : Landry 1967 : Allen & Shula 1968 : Shula 1969 : Grant 1970 : Nolan 1971 : Allen 1972 : Shula 1973 : Knox 1974 : Coryell 1975 : Marchibroda 1976 : Gregg 1977 : Miller 1978 : Patera 1979 : Pardee 1980 : Knox 1981 : Walsh 1982 : Gibbs 1983 : Gibbs 1984 : Knox 1985 : Ditka 1986 : Parcells 1987 : Mora 1988 : Ditka 1989 : Infante 1990 : Johnson 1991 : Fontes 1992 : Cowher 1993 : Reeves 1994 : Parcells 1995 : Rhodes 1996 : Capers 1997 : Fassel 1998 : Reeves 1999 : Vermeil 2000 : Haslett 2001 : Jauron 2002 : Reid 2003 : Belichick 2004 : Schottenheimer 2005 : L. Smith 2006 : Payton 2007 : Belichick 2008 : M. Smith 2009 : Lewis 2010 : Belichick 2011 : Harbaugh 2012 : Arians 2013 : Rivera 2014 : Arians 2015 : Rivera 2016 : Garrett Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_Rivera&oldid=801324116 '' Categories : 1962 births Living people Puerto Rican players of American football All - American college football players California Golden Bears football players American football linebackers Carolina Panthers head coaches Chicago Bears coaches Chicago Bears players National Football League defensive coordinators Philadelphia Eagles coaches San Diego Chargers coaches People from Fort Ord, California Military brats Super Bowl champions Players of American football from California American players of American football of Mexican descent American people of Mexican descent American people of Puerto Rican descent Hidden categories : Carolina Panthers currentteam parameter articles NFL player with coaching information Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Français Italiano Português Suomi Edit links This page was last edited on 19 September 2017, at 00 : 45. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who is the coach of the carolina panthers
Answer: Ronald Eugene Rivera