{"source_url": "https://chicago.suntimes.com", "url": "https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/1/1/21045450/ron-rivera-washington-redskins-coach", "title": "Redskins hire Ron Rivera as new head coach", "top_image": "https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VK0hDoAGbVz0FSMf_Ff0dbXkzxo=/0x0:5184x2714/fit-in/1200x630/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19566866/AP20001528790091.jpg", "meta_img": "https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VK0hDoAGbVz0FSMf_Ff0dbXkzxo=/0x0:5184x2714/fit-in/1200x630/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19566866/AP20001528790091.jpg", "images": ["https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VK0hDoAGbVz0FSMf_Ff0dbXkzxo=/0x0:5184x2714/fit-in/1200x630/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19566866/AP20001528790091.jpg", "https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66004103/blurred_flashing_lights.0.jpeg", "https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jyjX2RKd2QZG-Mn4XEyMEV_iLTQ=/0x0:5184x3456/1200x800/filters:focal(2052x760:2880x1588)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66004700/AP20001528790091.0.jpg", "https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66004516/fotw01_01_20steelheadcooltight.0.jpg", "data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAUEBAAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs", "https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66004584/d33_collage.0.jpg", "https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66004739/illinois_state_police.0.jpg", "https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66004284/merlin_88751089.8.jpg", "https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66004619/Fish_In_A_Barrel.0.jpg"], "movies": [], "text": "WASHINGTON \u2014 The Washington Redskins hired Ron Rivera as their coach on Wednesday in owner Dan Snyder\u2019s latest step to try to turn around the wayward franchise.\n\nWashington 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 Redskins\u2019 top candidate and inherits a team that went 3-13 this season and hasn\u2019t made the playoffs since 2015.\n\n\u201cAfter several meetings with Coach Rivera, it was clear he is the right person to bring winning football back to Washington, D.C.,\u201d Snyder said in a statement. \u201cHe 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.\u201d\n\nThe 57-year-old of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent is the first minority to be named full-time coach in Redskins franchise history. Rivera is the seventh coach hired by Snyder in his two decades of ownership that have included just five playoff appearances.\n\nRivera spent the past nine seasons coaching the Panthers, taking them to the Super Bowl in 2015.\n\n\u201cHe gets the best out of players,\u201d said Redskins cornerback Josh Norman, who played for Rivera with Carolina. \u201cAnd not just players, but men. He builds men and guys \u2014 and also builds character, and sets them up not just for football, but sets (them up) in life. I think that\u2019s the first and foremost thing you want to see in anybody, that they actually care about you instead of the game itself.\u201d\n\nThe Redskins are the first team that fired its coach this season to fill the position. Snyder zeroed in on Rivera, who flew to Washington on Monday to meet with him about the job.\n\n\u201cWhile I love the storied history of the franchise, I am focused on the future and excited for the opportunity to win football games with this talented young team,\u201d Rivera said in a statement.\n\nRivera replaces interim coach Bill Callahan, a favorite of Allen, who was fired after going 62-97-1 during his 10 years with the organization.\n\nSnyder 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.\n\nCarolina made the playoffs four times during Rivera\u2019s tenure, including a 15-1 season in 2015.\n\n\u201cThose Panther teams were tough and physical,\u201d said Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, the team\u2019s longest-tenured player. \u201cObviously they made the Super Bowl that one year. We played against them that year and they really were a damn good team that year. He\u2019s always had a physical, tough bunch. I know that.\u201d\n\nRivera previously was a defensive coordinator for the Bears and Chargers. He should boost a Redskins defense that underachieved and finished 27th out of 32 NFL teams.\n\n\u201cJust not consistent enough is the big word of the year,\u201d defensive lineman Jonathan Allen said. \u201cWe have a young group, young defense and, I mean, (the) only place from here is up, honestly.\u201d\n\nRivera could bring in Steve Wilks as defensive coordinator after time together in Carolina. Wilks spent one season as Arizona\u2019s coach and most recently was defensive coordinator in Cleveland under Freddie Kitchens, who was fired Sunday.\n\nNorman, who had his only All-Pro season under Wilks, called him \u201cthe best guy for the job.\u201d\n\nRivera goes from coaching Cam Newton with Carolina to younger quarterback Dwayne Haskins with Washington. Haskins, whom the Redskins selected 15th overall and goes into 2020 as the starter, met Rivera during the pre-draft process.\n\n\u201cHe\u2019s a good dude,\u201d Haskins said. \u201cI heard a lot of good things about him. We\u2019ll see what happens.\u201d", "keywords": [], "meta_keywords": [""], "tags": [], "authors": ["Associated Press", "Sun-Times Staff", "Sun-Times Wire", "Usa Today Network", "Tom Schuba", "Dale Bowman", "Sam Kelly", "Jan"], "publish_date": "Wed Jan  1 00:00:00 2020", "summary": "", "article_html": "", "meta_description": "Rivera is the seventh coach hired by Dan Snyder in his two decades of ownership that have included just five playoff appearances.", "meta_lang": "en", "meta_favicon": "https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15970238/CST__Red_Star-01_64.0.png", "meta_data": {"viewport": "width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no", "apple-mobile-web-app-title": "Chicago Sun-Times", "author": "Associated Press", "article": {"published_time": "2020-01-01T09:11:40-06:00", "modified_time": "2020-01-01T09:11:40-06:00"}, "style-tools": "https://chicago.suntimes.com/style/community/754/fbf53ad162a43bf77cefbb6e5e47a1dc/tools.css", "msvalidate.01": "D385D0326A3AE144205C298DB34B4E94", "description": "Rivera is the seventh coach hired by Dan Snyder in his two decades of ownership that have included just five playoff appearances.", "og": {"description": "Rivera is the seventh coach hired by Dan Snyder in his two decades of ownership that have included just five playoff appearances.", "image": {"identifier": "https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VK0hDoAGbVz0FSMf_Ff0dbXkzxo=/0x0:5184x2714/fit-in/1200x630/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19566866/AP20001528790091.jpg", "alt": "The Washington Redskins hired Ron Rivera as their new coach on Wednesday.", "height": 630, "width": 1200}, "site_name": "Chicago Sun-Times", "title": "Redskins hire Ron Rivera as new head coach", "type": "article", "url": "https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/1/1/21045450/ron-rivera-washington-redskins-coach"}, "fb": {"app_id": 549923288395304}, "twitter": {"card": "summary_large_image", "url": "https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/1/1/21045450/ron-rivera-washington-redskins-coach", "title": "Redskins hire Ron Rivera as new head coach", "description": "Rivera is the seventh coach hired by Dan Snyder in his two decades of ownership that have included just five playoff appearances.", "image": {"identifier": "https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_2iktHZPC9SugWsOwlfpbO-La58=/0x0:5184x2592/fit-in/1200x600/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19566866/AP20001528790091.jpg", "alt": "The Washington Redskins hired Ron Rivera as their new coach on Wednesday."}, "site": "suntimes"}, "sailthru.title": "Redskins hire Ron Rivera as new head coach", "sailthru.tags": "general,chicago-sun-times,front-page,sports,nfl", "sailthru.description": "Rivera is the seventh coach hired by Dan Snyder in his two decades of ownership that have included just five playoff appearances.", "sailthru.date": "2020-01-01T09:11:40-06:00", "sailthru.image.full": "https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1bwTI91FeMe6p79cPz2gFXjoj3M=/0x0:5184x2916/1600x900/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66004699/AP20001528790091.0.jpg", "sailthru.image.thumb": "https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/119Xx1qnyaHJf23YT9I3Cpjb0A0=/738x0:4194x3456/200x200/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66004699/AP20001528790091.0.jpg", "msapplication-TileImage": "https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/15970564/CST__Red_Star-01_144.0.png", "msapplication-TileColor": "#d3242c"}, "canonical_link": "https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/1/1/21045450/ron-rivera-washington-redskins-coach"}