WASHINGTON — Ron Rivera was hired as coach by Washington on Wednesday, owner Dan Snyder’s latest step to try to turn around the wayward franchise.
Washington announced the move two days after Snyder fired president Bruce Allen following a decade of futility. The former Carolina Panthers’ coach quickly emerged as the top candidate. He inherits a team that went 3-13 this season and hasn’t made the playoffs since 2015.
“After several meetings with Coach Rivera, it was clear he is the right person to bring winning football back to Washington, D.C.,” Snyder said in a statement. “He is widely respected around the league as a man of great integrity and has proven to be one of the finest coaches in the country.”
The 57-year-old of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent is the first minority to be named full-time coach in franchise history. Rivera is the seventh coach hired by Snyder in his two decades of ownership that have included just five playoff appearances.
Rivera spent the past nine seasons coaching the Panthers, taking them to the Super Bowl in 2015.
“He gets the best out of players,” said Washington cornerback Josh Norman, who played for Rivera with Carolina. “And not just players, but men. He builds men and guys — and also builds character, and sets them up not just for football, but sets (them up) in life. I think that’s the first and foremost thing you want to see in anybody, that they actually care about you instead of the game itself.”
Rivera replaces interim coach Bill Callahan, a favorite of Allen, who was fired after going 62-97-1 during his 10 years with the organization.
Snyder and Allen fired Jay Gruden in October after a 0-5 start to his sixth season. Rivera was fired by the Panthers in December after starting 5-7.
Carolina made the playoffs four times during Rivera’s tenure, including a 15-1 season in 2015.
Within hours of being named head coach, Rivera added former Jacksonville and Oakland coach Jack Del Rio to lead the defense. Bringing in Del Rio, 56 and long considered one of the league’s best defensive coaches, shows that Washington is committed to building around a defense filled with several promising players under the age of 26.
EAGLES: Philadelphia signed wide receiver Shelton Gibson and running back Elijah Holyfield.
The NFC East champions placed three-time Pro Bowl right guard Brandon Brooks and defensive end Daeshon Hall on injured reserve. The Eagles also signed offensive tackle Dieugot Joseph to the practice squad and released linebacker Deshaun Davis from the practice squad.
The Eagles (9-7) host Seattle (11-5) on Sunday. They were missing seven starters on offense in Week 17.
49ERS: San Francisco signed defensive tackle Earl Mitchell to a contract for the playoffs and waived defensive back Antone Exum Jr.
Mitchell spent the previous two seasons with the 49ers but has not played since being cut by Seattle just before the start of this season. Mitchell had announced his retirement in November but has decided to help the Niners in their playoff run. Mitchell adds depth in the middle of the defensive line after D.J. Jones was lost to a season-ending ankle injury.
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