Former Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera is slated to interview with the Dallas Cowboys this week for their vacant defensive coordinator job.
Interestingly enough, there is an opening in D.C. after former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn took the Commanders’ head coach job.
It’s rather clear that the ‘Boys are looking for an experienced defensive mind under offensive-minded head coach Mike McCarthy. Meanwhile, hands-on owner Jerry Jones is taking part in these interviews.
In addition to Rivera, former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and the respected Don “Wink” Martindale are two names being bandied about in Big D.
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Why Ron Rivera makes perfect sense for the Dallas Cowboys
Rivera, 62, is a football lifer. After his studly playing days as a linebacker for the Chicago Bears, he’s taken on a variety of roles. The experience factor certainly is there.
From 2004-2006, he served as the Bears’ defensive coordinator. His final two seasons in Chicago saw that unit finish first and third in points allowed, respectively.
Rivera served as the defensive coordinator for the then-San Diego Chargers from 2008-2010, leading two top-11 scoring defenses in the process.
This earned him the gig as the Carolina Panthers head coach, a span of nine seasons that saw him post a 76-63-1 record. That included a Super Bowl appearance following the 2015 season.
This is exactly the type of experience Dallas needs to run its defense. Replacing Dan Quinn is going to be no small thing. He led two top-five defenses in his final two seasons with the Cowboys. It’s one of the primary reasons they won 12 games each season.
Adding Rivera to the mix would be an absolute boon for the Cowboys.
We will see soon enough whether the Cowboys go in this direction. They seemingly have a ton of options to replace the respected Quinn. But Rivera seems to stand above the rest given his history and past success.