Ron Rivera fired as head coach of Commanders

Sep 26, 2021; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera walks on the field prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Commanders finished a disappointing season with a blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, and they are making another major organizational change.

Ron Rivera has been fired as head coach of the Commanders, according to multiple reports.

Washington finished 4-13 this season and went 0-6 in the NFC East. They showed some promise early on when Sam Howell played well, but they ended the year on an 8-game losing streak. The decision to fire Rivera was widely expected after how poorly the Commanders played over the final two months of the season.

Rivera was hired by Washington in 2020. He led the team to a playoff appearance in his first season with a 7-9 record. The Commanders then went 7-10 in 2021 and 8-8-1 last season before winning just 4 games this year.

The Commanders made some significant staff changes back in November, and new team owner Josh Harris indicated at the time that more would be coming.

Rivera, who turned 62 on Sunday, coached the Carolina Panthers for seven-plus seasons prior to being hired in Washington. He has a career record of 102-102-2 in the regular season and 3-5 in the playoffs. Rivera led the Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2015, where they lost to the Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos.