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Washington Commanders owner-in-waiting Josh Harris made a huge move Tuesday… he fired his head basketball coach.
His basketball team, the Philadelphia 76ers had concluded their most successful regular season since the 2000-01 season, as this year’s club won 54 of their 82 regular season games.
However, for the third consecutive season, the 76ers led by head coach “Doc” Rivers were unable to advance beyond the second round of the Eastern Conference NBA playoffs.
In fact, the 76ers under Rivers complied a 154-82 (.653) record and winning percentage. Yet, two days following their hard-fought 7-game series loss to the Boston Celtics, Rivers has been relieved of his duties.
Harris is about to take the reigns of the NFL’s Washington Commanders. The Commanders are coached by Ron Rivera who came to Washington in January of 2020. In his three NFL seasons in Washington, Rivera’s teams have compiled records of 7-9, 7-10 and 8-8-1.
76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey’s statement following the firing of Rivers included, “After having the chance to reflect upon our season, we decided that certain changes are necessary to further our goals of competing for a championship.”
Was Morey conveying that he and Harris agreed that they did not feel Rivers could take the team any further than he had in his three seasons?
Rivers led his team to three winning seasons and three first-round series victories in the playoffs as well. Yet, Rivers is no longer employed by Harris.
If Harris possesses such high standards for Rivers, what might this say for Ron Rivera, entering his fourth season in September, having not yet obtained a winning record?
Rivera has been to the NFC Conference championship game once, winning in 2015, before losing the Super Bowl to the Denver Broncos. He has coached in eight NFL playoff games, winning three.
Further, Rivera also has the circumstances of his starting quarterback having played in only one NFL game prior to the 2023 season opener. His offensive line fell off considerably in 2022 from their 2021 performance.
Ron Rivera will no doubt need to have some success this upcoming season if he is to survive to his final season in his contract (2024).
The least we can say today is there is no question Harris now has the attention of the Commanders’ coaching staff much more than he did prior to the 76ers’ game-seven loss to the Celtics.