More piling on Rivera--Prisco ranks the coaches

[Cyberjag]

First PFT thinks we're the 25th best team, and pretty much says it's because Rivera.  Then Football Outsiders says that if we had a better coach, we would be a dark horse Super Bowl candidate.  And now here's Pete, saying that the only coaches that Rivera is better than are Dennis Allen and all the guys who have never been a head coach in the NFL before (who he automatically moves to the back of the list).

 

25. Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers: He is 13-19 in two seasons with the Panthers, so this is a big one for his career with the team coming up. The Panthers did improve by one game to 7-9 last season, but he might need a playoff berth to keep his job.

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/22790909/nfl-coach-rankings-personality-doesnt-matter-but-rings-sure-do

 

Here's hoping that RR is in for a hell of a "I told you so" season.

[MadHatter]

Based on his record and some obvious coaching mistakes, I would say this is pretty accurate.

 

I have faith that Rivera has grown as a coach....we will see.

 

[Guest Spider Monkey]

I hope Panther Nation is ready to keep any of these haters and ESPN from jumping on the bandwagon when Cam takes over the league. You wanted a villian? You got one. The entire Panther Nation.

Ron Rivera is arguably the best defensive coach in the entire NFL. Entering year three he has our defense in position to be dominant, just like his third year everywhere else he has coached. With two years experience as a HC he can now adjust and learn from his mistakes with game management and play calling.

Cam Newton is also entering his third season and I expect him to dominate and show a more complete, consistent package. Our team is healthy for the first time under Rivera. Getting a healthy Beason and Kalil is like adding two FA who are All-Pro and in their prime. What other team added that this offseason? Not to mention Star was the steal of the draft and has the makings of an All-Pro DT.

And personally I am really rooting for Ron to succeed here. He is very genuine and seems to be a man of exceptional character. Most people around here have some sort of witch hunt going on and want him fired. I hope he is the HC in Carolina for 20+ years because it means we have a stadium full of Lombardi trophies and an all-time great HC/QB.

[Zod]

Pretty accurate. 25 seems right.

[SCP]

I think that's about right for Ron. He could even be 30 IMO. The guys like him and he seems to know defense, but he has shown very little as the head man to instill confidence. If you were to rank the coaches from worst to best good guys, Rivera would be #1 without a doubt.

[bigdog10]

A good deal of our close losses have come on the back of questionable coaching (over the past two years).  I would say this ranking is justified.

 

Until he proves he has the ability to make correct in game decisions, he will likely remain this low.

[Cary Kollins]

Sounds about right.  Lucky they gave him the benefit of the doubt and ranked him higher than the newbs.

 

There's no question Rivera is a great defensive mind and the players do not quit on him. But when everyone looks at him in crunch time when the game is on the line, he has looked like the proverbial deer-in-headlights.

 

We can only hope he has learned from the past.

[Marguide]

Why should he be higher?

 

Sure, he's evidently a nice guy that players like, and he's a hell of a defensive coach, but he has given us no reason to believe he will be successful as a HC.

 

Hopefully he can make some of us believers this year.

[panther4life]

Nobody should be upset about this. I wanted him fired badly and most of you did too.

As soon as I realized he wasn't going anywhere I started hoping year 3 is the year where he gets it together.

[Guest]

Sounds about right I guess. I hope Rivera has a breakout year like I hope Cam does.

[lovelett]

All he needs is to work on his game management, his defenses are always good. I feel like everyone is just jumping on the pile about Rivera.

[Darth Biscuit]

All he needs is to work on his game management, his defenses are always good. I feel like everyone is just jumping on the pile about Rivera.

 

idk if that's all he needs to work on, but it's certainly what he needs to work on the most.

 

It may turn out when it's all said and done that Rivera is a really good coach... just not a good HEAD coach.

[KSpan]

All he needs is to work on his game management, his defenses are always good. I feel like everyone is just jumping on the pile about Rivera.

 

Game management... no big deal or anything.

 

But I overall agree with you that with progress in this area he can make some real strides.  This year will be very telling.

[Cyberjag]

The best thing about Rivera is his ability to teach.  He's always done a great job developing talent, and the assistant coaches he's hired all have that ability as well.  So the bright side in all this is that he either puts the game management together this year and wins big, or he's out and Gettleman can recruit the absolutely best X's and O's guy out there to take the talent Rivera's developed and do somethign with it.

 

I want to win now, but I have a lot of faith that we're going to start winning with regularity SOON.

 

BTW, it took the Falcons (.427 lifetime winning %) 44 years to post back to back winning seasons, and 33 years to make the Super Bowl.  It took the Saints (.433) 22 years to win back to back, and 43 years to make the Super Bowl.  It took the Bucs (.394) 25 years to win back to back, and 27 to make the Super Bowl.  The Panthers (.420) made the Super Bowl in their 9th year, and will very likely get back to back winning seasons in their 20th or 21st year.  For what it's worth and all...