Some advice from an old friend...
Ron Rivera, the winningest head coach in the history of the Carolina Panthers, has some advice for new head coach Dave Canales. But before we get to that, the coach also had a few words for the team’s fans.
“Be patient,” he said. “Ask them to be patient, like they were for me.”
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Hopefully they’ll be able to put some veteran guys around him, to help him as he tries to navigate through the pitfalls of being a head coach in the league... You have to make sure you are surrounded by people that are going to help you. You want them to tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.”
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Rivera said one of the early errors he made as a first-time head coach at Carolina was that he didn’t find mentors quickly enough who had been head coaches in the NFL.
“That was one of the first mistakes I made,” Rivera said. “Honestly, my first two years I didn’t have a (former NFL head coach as a) mentor, somebody that when I needed some guidance or an opinion, would provide it.
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Rivera said part of the way he connected with Charlotte was through community work and added that Canales would be smart to do the same. “This is not just about a football team,” Rivera said. “It’s about the community. You need to make sure you help with that, and I’m sure he will. That’s so important. That’s how the fans get to know who you are, so then they can get behind you and support you.”
