So I know we're all excited about our new coach

[HeelsPayTheBills]

I am very excited about having Rivera not just getting rid of Fox. There would have been some candidates I would not have been happy with.

[Mr Mojo Risin]

I was excited because he has had great success with the defense side of the ball. And seeing how our defense has played the last few seasons we should easily be a top 5 defense. He also said that we will be going to more of a balanced type of offense which means no more run it 3 times then punt it away offense!

[Mr. Scot]

I'd add that it's not just Rivera that people are excited about. The staff choices have generally been good.

Heck, even the front office seems to be opening up to being more fan-friendly. What's not to like?

(at least so far)

[vorbis]

it's hard to imagine a fresher start with Panther fans than Rivera has had. at least working with the media in the early going, he is the polar opposite to John Fox. it's a lot easier to believe in a coach who is willing to utter a word of philosophy or goals beyond empty platitudes and clichés pinched out of a word sphincter. Rivera may fall into similar patterns some day but for now he's open and allowing the fans to feel a part of the different stages of team improvement.

[2jakefansinva]

Redskin fans are pissed off every 3 years.

Yeah...............but they get a boost every 15 yrs. or so when they hire Joe Gibbs back.

[panthers55]

Right now Rivera is saying all the right things and the defensive side of the ball should be looking up. The problems lie with the offense though and to date I am not sold on Chud yet. No reason too be alarmed either just that if we become Cleveland South like in 2008 things could stay bad. If we end up becoming San Diego 2010 on offense then the sky is the limit. Right now there are too many question marks to know for sure.

But it is the offseason and the time for optimism and excitement. Plenty of time down for the road for negativity and nay saying.

[riddel]

But has there been any fan base that wasn't ecstatic about their new coaching staff? I wasn't around for the new Fox regime, and I obviously don't follow any other teams all that closely so I don't have a clue. We're all incredibly excited about what Rivera can hopefully do with this team (myself is definitely included in this); I'm just wondering if this is always the case?

I'm not ecstatic about Hurney keeping his job. If you're letting a lame duck coach go and firing the staff for a 2-14 season, then Hurney should have been gone too. I've heard the whole stupid Fox didn't play the rookies theory and I simply don't care to hear that crap again. Eight starters walked and no replacements. That's Hurney and Richardson's fault.

I'm not ecstatic about our Head Coach. I've accepted him and I support him, but I wanted a proven head coach who had already worked with most of his staff at a head coach level, meaning a head coach that brought most of his staff with him. Anybody that's ecstatic about Rivera being head coach is simply a homer. You can't be ecstatic about the prospect of a guy being a great head coach, especially one that's been passed over as many times as Rivera has. He has said that he won't touch the offense, which bothers me off the start. I feel like a Head Coach should be involved in the offense and have the ultimate say, but obviously not step on the Offensive Coaches toes. Rivera has basically said there is a wall there and the offense is Chuds, which is probably a good thing in this case, because Chud knows is stuff. He may or may not succeed. We just don't know yet.

What I am ecstatic about is Chud. He is a proven Offensive Coach with a style of offense I love to watch. I'm excited to see an offense that likes to move the ball more than move the clock, I just hope we find the Qb for the system.

The jury is still out on McDermott. I guess the real question here is "Do Rivera and McDermott share the same philosophies on defense?" I simply don't know the answer there, but I should hope so. Philly had a good defense, but it wasn't one that I would point to a say, yes, that's the defense I want. The Chargers defense was very good, so let's hope that Rivera and McDermott are on the same page.

Murphy appears to be an above average special teams coach, but 9th in the league is still not that great. I truly believe that special teams changes the game. When you watch the 2004 superbowl team, special teams was the difference in several games and ultimately cost the Panthers the superbowl with the kick out of bounds. I believe Murphy is a sold coach. I don't know that he makes the special teams stand out. We shall see.

Ecstatic is a big word and I'm far from ecstatic unless you bring in a coaching staff that's a proven winner. I'm excited about the new era and I support the staff, but I'm not ecstatic.

[TheMaulClaw]

I was never excited about the movie "Changeling" so I never saw it.

[markbm62]

Probably the reason that most everyone on the Huddle are excited about hiring Rivera is that he seems to fit the model of the coach that the Huddle faithful have been asking for. It’s as if he read the Huddle before his press conference, we wanted an aggressive defense, and he has shown this in the past. We asked for more from our offense, he said that he wanted a balanced offense that would dictate the action and not be controlled by the opposing defense. Then the final piece is where we have been screaming for them to start using a TE more, he said that one of our biggest needs was a TE that could do it all and then they go out and sign a big name TE (whether he pans out or not is a different question).

The coaching staff is something that has impressed me, he seems to have put together a staff that adheres to the same philosophy, if its true then that should free him up oversee all areas instead of stepping in on one or more of his coaches.

Of course actions speak louder than words so we will have to wait and see how things go, but I for one am excited for the season to start.

[pantherclaw]

Blaming Hurney for not bringing in people after the purge last season? Are you serious? The whole idea of the purge was so the younger guys that Hurney and company have been building the team with would step up! So he did bring in players. It is the job of the coaches to put said players in the best position to succeed.

Now, onto the tread topic.

I've liked Rivera since he was still coaching with the bears. Felt he is one of the best coaches in the league. I actually figured the Panthers wouldn't get their chance, cause he should have gotten a head coaching gig before now..but that isn't his fault.

As it ended up, he went onto the chargers, and was still available when fox was done.

We got the guy I've been wanting for years. Wanted him over any proven head coach that was/is available. I have some doubt about a few of the guys he has brought in, but if he believes in these guys, than I'm going to give them the chance to prove my doubt wrong (not that I had a choice in the matter).

I also don't want a defensive minded head coach playing puppets with his offensive cord. That never ends up being a good thing. Yes, he needs to be involved in game planning, but not running the offense.

I'm definately excited that we got one of the better teachers/coaches in the league.

[whynot]

What was so bad and so good now, is that everyone including players .coaches and fans have known Fox was gone for the last 2 years, We've been waiting to start over

Now we can

[riddel]

It is the job of the coaches to put said players in the best position to succeed.

Got hung up right here. You're kidding right?

How about I give you a pocket knife and then tell you to go fight a guy with a machine gun.....should I blame you for getting killed? Hurney and Richardson gave Fox a pocket knife and sent him into the line of fire. Let's not rehash this again. It's a proven fact. Eight starters walked and we did NOTHING to replace them. 2-14!!!!!!!!

[pantherclaw]

Got hung up right here. You're kidding right?

How about I give you a pocket knife and then tell you to go fight a guy with a machine gun.....should I blame you for getting killed? Hurney and Richardson gave Fox a pocket knife and sent him into the line of fire. Let's not rehash this again. It's a proven fact. Eight starters walked and we did NOTHING to replace them. 2-14!!!!!!!!

Once again...you cannot accept the fact at some point, all teams have got to trust that their young guys step up. That is why they are drafted. No team in the league replaces their departing vets with a bunch of free agents.

But go ahead...blame whoever you want. I'm not going to argue with a wall.

[Stumpy]

No team in the league replaces their departing vets with a bunch of free agents.

See Redskins, Washington