KEY POINTS

  • Washington Redskins hope to get better with former Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera
  • Rivera hopes his sting with the Redskins won't lead to a dead-end
  • Rivera will be joined by Jack Del Rio who will serve as his defensive coordinator

It did not take long for Ron Rivera to get a new NFL coaching gig. After getting fired by the Carolina Panthers, a team that he coached for 9 years, the 57-year-old mentor agreed to be the next coach of the Washington Redskins.

Seeing Rivera get a new job that quickly was hardly surprising. However, agreeing to coach the Redskins has got much thinking. For a team that has had several successful coaches, Rivera could be putting himself in a hot spot. Since 2000, Daniel Snyder has been known to fire good head coaches. Further, no coach left Washington after that with a winning record, Yahoo Sports reported.

With the Panthers, Rivera finished with a respectable 76-63-1 record. He was named NFL Coach of the Year in 2013 and 2015- the time when the Panthers made the Super Bowl but lost to the Denver Broncos. If Rivera is somehow to get things together in Washington, there is a chance he can weave his magic wand of success.

The best Washington could do in the last 7 NFL season was reach the Wild Card playoffs. They did it in 2012 but lost to the Seattle Seahawks under the watch of Mike Shanahan. They would reach the same stage in 2015 but bow to the Green Bay Packers with Jay Gruden calling the shots. Gruden was the Redskins last head coach, fired after Washington got off to a 0-5 start this NFL season.

There is no question that Rivera has the capability to whip the Redskins in shape. However, he needs to get the right personnel to align with his vision. According to ESPN, Rivera will be joined by Jack Del Rio to act as his defensive coordinator. Del Rio showed what he could do on the defensive end when he served as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars and defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos.

Coming off another dismal season, expectations will be high on the Redskins. Rivera is no stranger to success and Snyder will likely be hoping for a winning record at the least. They will hold the rights on the second pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, something that will likely be used on pass rusher Chase Young.

As for the current roster, it will be interesting if Rivera can bring out the best in Dwayne Haskins, the Redskins 2019 first-round pick. With the right direction, the 22-year-old out of Ohio State could blossom as the team's quarterback.

Ron Rivera Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers shared their favorite Vine, which featured head coach Ron Rivera. Pictured: Rivera looks on at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Sept. 8, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. Getty Images