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Washington Commanders fire Ron Rivera after four seasons

Nikki Chavanelleby: Nikki Chavanelle01/08/24NikkiChavanelle
Ron Rivera Washington Cowboys
Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

The 4-13 Washington Commanders have chosen to part ways with head coach Ron Rivera after four seasons, according to Adam Schefter. With new leadership in place, the Commanders will now begin the hunt for a coach to lead the team into a new era.

Rivera, 62, had been on the hot seat with Washington having dropped seven games in a row after a 4-5 start. The Dallas Cowboys made it eight straight in the season finale Sunday with a 38-10 win. Rivera has been at the helm in D.C. since the 2020 season, when he was hired to replace Jay Gruden. The Commanders captured an NFC East title in Rivera’s inaugural season, albeit with a 7-9 record. Since then, Washington has gone 19-31 with zero playoff appearances.

Prior to joining the Commanders, Rivera spent nine seasons (2011-19) as head coach of the Carolina Panthers. Carolina went 76-63 under Rivera, winning three NFC South titles and coming just short of winning Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos.

Commanders move on from Rivera era

The harsh reality of Rivera’s future became a bit clearer once Josh Harris took over as team owner from Dan Snyder. Harris hasn’t commented publicly since Nov. 24, when Rivera made the decision to relieve Jack Del Rio from his duties as defensive coordinator. At the time, Harris described his feelings with the team as “disappointed and frustrated.”

Along with Rivera, the status of general manager Martin Mayhew is now also in doubt. As for where Washington goes next, the next regime will walk into a situation with new, stable ownership, some building blocks already on the roster such as receiver Terry McLaurin, running back Brian Robinson and defensive lineman Jonathan Allen. The team also has a chance to snag a franchise quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.

According to Schefter’s reporting, Josh Harris has hired two prominent executives to help his group search for a new head coach. Those executives are former Warriors GM Bob Myers and former Vikings GM Rick Spielman.

On3’s Nick Geddes contributed to this report.