When Ron Rivera took over as head coach of the Washington Football Team after the 2019 season, he knew he had his work cut out for him.
When Ron Rivera took over as head coach of the Washington Football Team after the 2019 season, he knew he had his work cut out for him.
While Washington had several prominent young pieces on the roster, there were still plenty of holes. So in his first year, Rivera worked closely with former vice president of player personnel, Kyle Smith, on the NFL draft. It was a successful venture, with Washington adding players like Chase Young, Antonio Gibson and Kamren Curl. Still, Rivera wanted to surround himself with experienced people with who he felt comfortable.
Enter Martin Mayhew and Marty Hurney.
Rivera continued his makeover of Washington’s front office, adding both of the former general managers. In a conversation with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Rivera said it was owner Daniel Snyder who suggested Rivera hire both former GMs.
Rivera worked with Hurney for years in Carolina, while he had a longtime friendship with Mayhew. So he struggled with which one to hire as Washington’s general manager when Snyder asked him, “do you like them both?”
Rivera responded, “I like them both a lot.”
So Snyder asked Rivera, “would you like to have them both?”
Rivera discussed how much of a pleasure it has been working with both Hurney and Rivera and how each is different and brings plenty of positives to Washington.
The biggest thing, Marty’s a little bit more get-my-hands-dirty out there in the scouting world, and going out on trips and being out of the office for a week or two at a time, where Martin is a little more in the office, on the tape, handling the day-to-day stuff, the communication between us and the league.
In his first year in Washington, Rivera had to deal with many things most coaches never have to face. There was the name change, multiple allegations of sexual harassment against previous regimes and his own cancer diagnosis.
There were also the issues with former first-round pick, quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who Rivera benched and later released.
Through it all, Rivera led Washington to an NFC East title took eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay to the wire in the NFC wild-card round.
Rivera hasn’t stopped after adding Mayhew and Hurney. The WFT has also hired other prominent executives, such as former Indianapolis GM Chris Polian.
While it remains to be seen how successful Washington’s unique front-office setup will be long-term, it’s off to a promising start. The Football Team had a strong free-agency period and NFL draft. And, according to Rivera, this group enjoys working together.
“Those guys have done a great job communicating and working together. I really appreciate the way they’ve worked with me,” Rivera said. “Individually, we have great relationships.”
When was the last time Washington had this type of cohesion among the front office and coaching staff? Probably never under Snyder, even in Joe Gibbs’ second stint in Washington.
Count this among the many reasons why Washington fans are excited and optimistic about the future. The organization has a clear plan, with a defined leader who sets the plan, and everyone knows what the goals are and understands their role.
That’s how successful franchises are built. Now, all Washington has to do is win — and win big.
