Tuesday afternoon, the Carolina Panthers fired head coach Ron Rivera, ending his tenure in Charlotte after nine seasons. However, many believe that this is not the end of the road for the defensive-minded coach. He is expected to be hired by another franchise following the season, and one potential landing spot has already been identified as the New York Giants.
Following the news surfacing that Rivera had been fired, Hall of Fame personnel man Gil Brandt said that the former Panthers coach would get strong consideration for many of the jobs that are expected to be open. He specifically named the Giants, provided they make a change and fire second-year coach, Pat Shurmur at the end of the season.
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While Brandt doesn’t have any sources providing him this information, there are some factors that add credence to his statement. Specifically, the Giants prefer to hire coaches with previous experience, such as Pat Shurmur and Tom Coughlin. Both top men had coached the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars, respectively, prior to taking over in New York. Ben McAdoo didn’t have any head coach experience prior to taking the job in 2016, but he had previously coached under Coughlin and was ready to step in and take over.
Rivera has nine years of experience running a team and has proven that he can take a team to the playoffs multiple times while also reaching the Super Bowl. Although he didn’t take home a Lombardi Trophy due to the Denver Broncos defense shutting down quarterback Cam Newton.
The other factor that could play a role in Rivera heading to the Big Apple is the current general manager in place. The New York Giants have Dave Gettleman working in the front office, a man that previously served as the GM of the Carolina Panthers from 2013-2017. He was partnered with Rivera during the run to Super Bowl 50, as well as during a stretch of seasons where the Panthers won the NFC South three times and reached the playoffs a total of four times.
Gettleman was relieved of his duties following the 2017 season, which is when the Panthers hired current GM Marty Hurney on an interim basis. He was later brought on board as the full-time front office man in February 2018.
Rivera and Gettleman have a history of success together, and Shurmur’s future with the Giants is undecided. There is a possibility that the two could reunite once again with hopes of taking Big Blue back to the Super Bowl.
(Photo Credit: Jacob Kupferman/Getty)
