What is Ron Rivera’s ethnicity? A look at Commanders HC’s coaching career

Ron Rivera was in focus today as the Washington Commanders took on the Chicago Bears. Sitting at 2-2, they were third in the NFC East going into this game, propped up from the basement only by the hapless New York Giants. After their loss today to go 2-3, they could yet drop to joint-bottom of their division by the end of the week. This comes after a season when they were the only team from their division to fail to make the playoffs.

They have been hamstrung by poor ownership by Dan Snyder prior to this year and there are systemic problems that need to be corrected for them to be competitive again. Amidst all the off-field drama that contributed to on-field problems, Ron Rivera has generally acquitted himself well with the resources that he has had.

That is a product of his upbringing that came from his parents. His father had Puerto Rican heritage and his mother had a Mexican background. The Washington head coach's father was in the US Army and frequently relocated. He was born in California.

He has always been a trailblazer in the NFL. He was drafted in 1984 by the team he faced today as a linebacker and special teams player. In 1985, when the Chicago Bears won the Super Bowl, he became the first player of Puerto Rican heritage to win the Lombardi Trophy.

His ability to persevere amidst adversity has also been noted by the league. In 2022, he won the George Halas award, which is given to an active NFL player, staff member or coach, who has worked the most to overcome adversity. He was recognized for having recovered from squamous cell carcinoma.

In 2021, in recognition of his ethnicity, he also won the 2021 Hispanic Heritage Sports Award given by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. They recognized him for his contributions on and off the field in the NFL, where he became only the third Latino head coach in the league's history after Tom Fears and Tom Flores.

Ron Rivera coaching record

Ron Rivera has received many recognitions in the league for his coaching achievements. He is a two-time NFL Coach of the Year, having won the award in 2013 and 2015.

In 2013, as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, he took the team to a 12-4 record after starting the season 1-3. It was the first time the team had made the playoffs since 2008.

He had his best season with them in 2015, though, when they finished 15-1. It remains their best ever season in franchise history and they were inspired by Cam Newton as they made it all the way to the Super Bowl 50. However, they lost that game to a ferocious Denver Broncos defense, led by game MVP Von Miller.

Ron Rivera's head coaching record spans his time with the Carolina Panthers and the Washington Commanders. Previously, he coached linebackers and was defensive coordinator for teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears and San Diego Chargers.

Having become the head coach in Carolina in 2011, he has been in the position every year since. With the Panthers, he accumulated a 76-63-1 overall record. From 2011 to 2019, he had three winning seasons and made it to the playoffs four times, including in 2014 as NFC South champions with a losing 7-8-1 record. His best performance remains reaching the Super Bowl in 2015.

Ron Rivera was fired by them in 2019 with a 5-7 record and became the Washington head coach in 2020. He has never had a winning season with them, his best standing being last year with a 8-8-1 final record. However, despite finishing the 2020 season with a 7-9 record, they were divisional champions and made it to the playoffs. They lost in the Wild Card round to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He currently has a 24-30-1 record in Washington.

Ron Rivera's overall record reads 100-93-2. Despite the loss today, there is wide recognition, though, of his achievements under trying circumstances in the NFL.