The Carolina Panthers didn’t bother waiting until the end of the season to make the coaching change many anticipated.
The team announced Tuesday that it has fired head coach Ron Rivera after over eight seasons at the helm. Secondary coach Perry Fewell will serve as interim coach for the final four games of the regular season.
With #Panthers coach Ron Rivera out, secondary coach Perry Fewell was named interim head coach. OC Norv Turner will transition to special assistant to the head coach, and QB coach Scott Turner will serve as offensive coordinator. … Major changes in Carolina.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 3, 2019
Panthers’ owner David Tepper on the firing Ron Rivera: “I have a great deal of respect for Ron and the contributions he has made to this franchise and to this community. I wish him the best. I will immediately begin the search for the next head coach of the Carolina Panthers.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 3, 2019
Rivera’s future has seemed to be doomed for a while. The Panthers went 7-9 last season and 5-7 this year, currently riding a four-game losing streak. They had fallen into a general state of mediocrity. An injury to Cam Newton didn’t help, but it simply seemed that the veteran coach’s message had grown stale. It was rumored he was on the hot seat last offseason, and the lack of improvement in 2019 sealed his fate.
Rivera went 76-63-1 as Carolina head coach, including a Super Bowl appearance. Fewell, his temporary replacement, went 3-4 as interim coach of the Buffalo Bills in 2009.
