Panthers fire Ron Rivera after 9 seasons

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - After nine seasons Ron Rivera is no longer with the Carolina Panthers, the organization announced on Tuesday. 

Rivera has been on the hot seat since losing to a 2-9 Washington Redskins team last Sunday. The Panthers are 5-7 on the season.

Rivera insisted on taking over defensive coordinator duties in 2018 and hasn’t relinquished those duties, drawing criticism as to why they have not hired a new defensive coordinator.

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Following a 29-3 loss to the Falcons team owner David Tepper said he would not tolerate mediocrity. He released a statement on Tuesday.

"I believe this is the best decision for the long-term success of our team,” Tepper said. “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. We are going to take a comprehensive and thorough review of our football operation to make sure we are structured for long-term sustained success."

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"Our vision is to find the right mix of old-school discipline and toughness with modern and innovative processes. We will consider a wide range of football executives to complement our current football staff. One change that we will implement is hiring an assistant general manager and vice president of football operations. We all must recognize that this is the first step in a process, but we are committed to building and maintaining a championship culture for our team and our fans.”

The Panthers also announced they are hiring an assistant general manager as well as a vice president of football operations, putting Panthers GM Marty Hurney further on the hot seat.

The Panthers host the Falcons on Sunday (1 pm, WJZY).