Ron Rivera facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ron Rivera

Rivera in 2022
No. 59
Position:	Linebacker
Personal information
Born:	(1962-01-07) January 7, 1962 (age 63) Fort Ord, California, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school:	Seaside (Seaside, California)
College:	California (1980–1983)
NFL Draft:	1984 / Round: 2 / Pick: 44
Career history
As player:
Chicago Bears (1984)
As coach:
Chicago Bears (1997) Defensive quality control coach Philadelphia Eagles (1999) Linebackers coach Chicago Bears (2004) Defensive coordinator San Diego Chargers (2007) Linebackers coach San Diego Chargers (2008) Defensive coordinator Carolina Panthers (2011) Head coach Washington Redskins / Football Team / Commanders (2020) Head coach
Career highlights and awards
As player Super Bowl champion (XX) Pop Warner Trophy (1983) Pac-10 Football Defensive Player of the Year (1983) Consensus All-American (1983) First-team All-Pac-10 (1983) 2× Second-team All-Pac-10 (1981, 1982) As coach 2× AP NFL Coach of the Year (2013, 2015) Greasy Neale Award (2015) George Halas Award (2022) PFWA Assistant Coach of the Year (2005)
Career NFL statistics
Sacks: 7.5 Interceptions: 9 Fumble recoveries: 6 Touchdowns: 1
Head coaching record
Regular season:	102–103–2 (.498)
Postseason:	3–5 (.375)
Career:	105–108–2 (.493)
Player stats at PFR
Coaching stats at PFR

Ronald "Ron" Eugene Rivera (born January 7, 1962) is a famous American football player and coach. He played as a linebacker for nine seasons with the Chicago Bears. He was part of the amazing 1985 Bears team that won Super Bowl XX. Later, he became a head coach and was named the NFL Coach of the Year twice while leading the Carolina Panthers.

Rivera played college football for the California Golden Bears. He was recognized as an All-American in 1983, which means he was one of the best college players in the country. The Chicago Bears picked him in the second round of the 1984 NFL draft. His coaching career started in 1997 with the Bears as a quality control coach. He then coached for the Philadelphia Eagles and returned to the Bears as their defensive coordinator in 2004. He helped the Bears reach Super Bowl XLI in 2006. After that, he coached for the San Diego Chargers.

In 2011, Rivera became the head coach for the Carolina Panthers. He led them to Super Bowl 50 and became the coach with the most wins in Panthers history. He later coached the Washington Football Team from 2020 to 2023. In 2020, he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a type of cancer, but was declared cancer-free by early 2021. Rivera is known for being the only NFL coach to lead a team with a losing record to the playoffs more than once. After leaving Washington, he joined ESPN as a football analyst.

Early Life and Family Moves

Ron Rivera was born in Fort Ord, California, on January 7, 1962. His father, Eugenio Rivera, was a Puerto Rican officer in the US Army. His mother, Dolores, had Mexican and Filipino roots. Because his father was in the military, Ron's family moved around a lot. He went to school on army bases in places like Germany, Panama, and Washington, D.C.. Eventually, his family settled in Marina, California. Ron played football at Seaside High School and graduated in 1980.

Playing Football: College and Pros

College Football Star

Ron Rivera earned a football scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley. There, he played as a linebacker for the Golden Bears. For three years, he led the team in tackles, which means he made the most stops against the other team. In his final season in 1983, Ron received many awards. He was named an All-American, one of the best college players in the nation. He also won the Pac-10 Football Defensive Player of the Year award and the Pop Warner Trophy.

Playing in the NFL

The Chicago Bears picked Ron Rivera in the second round of the 1984 NFL draft. He played for them as a linebacker and on special teams. In 1985, Ron made history. He became the first American of Puerto Rican descent to win a Super Bowl. His Bears team beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. In 1988, he was named the Bears' Man of the Year. The next year, he received the Ed Block Courage Award.

Ron played in the NFL for nine seasons, retiring after the 1992 season. He played in 137 games, starting 62 of them. He made 392 tackles, had 7.5 sacks, forced five fumbles, recovered six fumbles, and caught nine interceptions.

Coaching Career Highlights

After his playing career, Ron Rivera worked as a TV analyst for football games. In 1997, he returned to the Chicago Bears as a defensive quality control coach.

Coaching the Philadelphia Eagles

In 1999, Ron became the linebackers coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. During his time there, the Eagles reached the NFC championship three years in a row. He also helped develop linebacker Jeremiah Trotter into a two-time All-Pro player.

Back with the Chicago Bears

Ron Rivera became the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears on January 23, 2004. In 2005, the Bears' defense was ranked second in the league. The team won their division, the NFC North, with an 11–5 record. For his great work that year, Ron was named Assistant Coach of the Year. In 2006, the Bears had the league's third-best defense. This helped them reach Super Bowl XLI, where they played against the Indianapolis Colts. Even though the Bears lost, Ron's success with the defense made other teams notice him.

San Diego Chargers Coach

In February 2007, Ron Rivera was hired by the San Diego Chargers to coach their inside linebackers. In October 2008, he was promoted to defensive coordinator.

Leading the Carolina Panthers

Ron Rivera as the Carolina Panthers head coach in 2016.

On January 11, 2011, Ron Rivera became the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. He was the third Latino head coach in NFL history. In his first year, the Panthers finished with a 6–10 record.

In 2013, after a tough start, Ron began making more aggressive decisions in games. The Panthers then won 11 of their next 12 games, including a team record eight-game winning streak. They won the NFC South division and made the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Because of this amazing turnaround, Ron was named the 2013 AP NFL Coach of the Year. During this time, fans and media gave him the nickname "Riverboat Ron." This name came from old-time gamblers who took risks, and Ron later used it on his social media.

In 2014, the Panthers started slow but won their last four games to win the NFC South again. They won their first playoff game since 2005 against the Arizona Cardinals.

The team had an incredible season in 2015, finishing with a 15–1 record. Their only loss was against the Atlanta Falcons. Ron won his second AP NFL Coach of the Year award. The Panthers made it to Super Bowl 50 to play against the Denver Broncos. It was special because both head coaches, Rivera and Gary Kubiak, had played in a Super Bowl themselves. The Panthers lost the game 24–10, in a game where both defenses played very well.

The Panthers struggled in 2016 and 2018, missing the playoffs. After a 5–7 start to the 2019 season, Ron Rivera was fired on December 3, 2019. He finished his time with the Panthers with four playoff appearances and the most wins in team history (79–67–1).

Coaching in Washington

Ron Rivera as the Washington Commanders head coach in 2022.

On January 1, 2020, Ron Rivera was hired as the head coach of the Washington Football Team. He was given a lot of power over the team's players. His first season in Washington was full of challenges. He had to build a new team culture, help change the team's name, deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, and go through cancer treatment. Despite all this, Ron led the team to win the NFC East division with a 7–9 record. This was similar to his 2014 Panthers team that also won their division with a losing record.

In 2021 and 2022, the team had ups and downs with their quarterbacks. Ron made decisions about who would start, trying to find the best fit for the team. In 2023, Ron announced that Sam Howell would be the team's starting quarterback. Ron also took over as the interim defensive coordinator for the second half of the season. After the Commanders finished the 2023 season with a 4–13 record, Ron Rivera was fired on January 8, 2024.

Head Coaching Record

Life After Coaching

In March 2024, Ron Rivera joined ESPN as an analyst for NFL Live. He also works as an analyst for some games on Westwood One radio. In April 2022, he became a speaker for the Washington Speakers Bureau. He shares stories from his playing and coaching career, as well as his personal life, to inspire audiences.

Personal Life and Challenges

Ron Rivera and his wife Stephanie in 2020.

Ron Rivera is Catholic. He has three brothers: Steven, Mickey, and John. He is married to Stephanie (née Tamayo), whom he met in college in 1983. They got married in 1984. Stephanie, who is Filipino American, was a basketball player in college and later coached the sport. She even worked as an assistant coach for the Washington Mystics in the WNBA. Ron and Stephanie have two children, Christopher and Courtney. Courtney played softball for UCLA and has worked with her father on social media for the Panthers and Commanders. Ron's nephew, Vincent, also worked as a coach under him in Washington.

Growing up, Ron admired Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Clemente. Clemente was known for his amazing baseball skills and for helping others. Ron Rivera was inducted into the California Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994. In 2015, his home in Charlotte, North Carolina, caught fire, but his family was safe. In 2020, after becoming Washington's coach, he held a charity yard sale at his old home. He sold Panthers gear and raised over $30,000 for the humane society in Charlotte.

In August 2020, Ron Rivera was diagnosed with a type of cancer called squamous cell carcinoma in his neck. His family has a history with cancer. However, Ron's cancer was found early. He went through seven weeks of treatment, including many proton therapy sessions and chemotherapy. Even though he lost weight and felt tired, he only missed a few practices. The team created a "Rivera Strong" campaign to support him. By early 2021, Ron was considered cancer-free. In April 2021, he donated $100,000 to a charity event for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which helps children with cancer. In 2022, he received the George Halas Award for showing strength through his challenges.

See also

In Spanish: Ron Rivera para niños