Ron Rivera gets second interview for Carolina Panthers head coach position
Ron Rivera is the first candidate to be interviewed twice by the Carolina Panthers and the first to have a meeting with owner Jerry Richardson.
The San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator has emerged as the leading candidate for the head coaching job in Carolina after arriving at the Panthers complex for a second interview.
Charlie Dayton, spokesman for the team, says that Rivera is to have a meeting with team officials in Charlotte, North Carolina.
A local newspaper said that Rivera is expected to become the Panthers’ next coach on Tuesday.
However, a source said that the report was hasty.
"Deal is he's coming in for second interview. Nothing is done. Could it happen quickly? Yes. Could it not happen quickly or at all? Yes. That is the truth".
Danny Morrison, team president, and General Manager, Marty Hurney, have interviewed three other candidates over the past week, all defensive coordinators. Rob Ryan of the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers’ Greg Manusky and Perry Fewell from the New York Giants have all been interviewed.
However, neither Ryan, Manusky nor Fewell have been interviewed twice. That means that Rivera is the leading candidate for the head coach position.
Rivera is a former linebacker for the Bears and was also a member of the team when they won the Super Bowl in 1985.
Rivera’s stint with the Chargers started halfway through the 2008 season. He was also defensive coordinator for the Bears team for two years, from 2004 to 2006.
He has had many teams interviewing him over the years for the head coaching job. The Panthers are the ninth.
They are looking for their fourth head coach since the team was established 16 year ago. Richardson decided not to bring John Fox back for the 2011 season after a league worst 2-14 record. They also placed 14 players on injured reserve, the highest in the league.
Richardson said in a news conference last week that although the team’s offense is the worst in the league, it doesn’t mean that they will not hire a defensive coach as long as they have a good quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.
"We're putting a very high priority on the offense and that can be accomplished without having an offensive head coach", Richardson said.
Rivera is the son of a U.S. Army officer and has attended military schools throughout the world. He played for the Golden Bears at the University of California and still holds the record for the most tackles for a loss, which he set almost 20 years ago in 1983.
He has also worked with both the 4-3 and 3-4 defensive plans during his diverse career as defensive coordinator. The Panthers currently use a 4-3 scheme since Fox became head coach back in 2002.
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