The Carolina Panthers announced Tuesday that they fired longtime head coach Ron Rivera, who was four games away from from finishing his ninth year with the team. Rivera’s Panthers teams have given the New Orleans Saints more consistent trouble than any other NFC South division rival; he leaves having accomplished a 76-33-1 record (.695), with four of Carolina’s eight division titles. They peaked with a 15-1 season in 2015, ultimately falling short in Super Bowl 50.
In his place, the Panthers designated secondary coach Perry Fewell as the interim head coach, with offensive coordinator Norv Turner his special assistant. Quarterbacks coach Scott Turner will pull double-duty as the offensive coordinator.
This move signals that Panthers owner David Tepper is throwing in the towel on the 2019 season, in which his team has slid to a 5-7 record and lost five of their last six games. With franchise quarterback Cam Newton on the injured reserve list and a playoffs berth growing further distant, they should focus on further evaluating backup passer Kyle Allen and rookie quarterback Will Grier.
Tepper released a brief statement through the team’s official webiste, saying: “I believe this is the best decision for the long-term success of our team. I have a great deal of respect for Ron and the contributions he has made to this franchise and to this community. I wish him the best. I will immediately begin the search for the next head coach of the Carolina Panthers.”
The Saints will close out the regular season with a Dec. 29 road game against the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. It’s anyone’s guess who will be playing quarterback or filling in at head coach during that game, much less what could be an offseason filled with even more changes.
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