According to a report by Mike Silver at NFL Network, the Washington Redskins have reached an agreement with Ron Rivera and will hire him as their head coach. Ian Rapoport says it’s a five-year deal but the official announcement won’t come until tomorrow.
The Redskins were a powerhouse team in the NFL in the 80s with Joe Gibbs, but it’s been a long time since they’ve enjoyed any sustained success.
Jay Gruden, Mike Shanahan, Jim Zorn, Steve Spurrier, Norv Turner and others have tried, but nobody has been able to build a contender since Gibbs left after the 1992 season (later to return). Since then, they have only been to the playoffs five times and have never advanced past the divisional round. This latest run of futility has dropped the franchise’s all-time record to a perfectly mediocre 603-603-28.
Rivera gives Washington the best coach they’ve had in a while, though. If anyone is suited to turn around the culture of dysfunction and drama that’s come to define this franchise, it’s him.
However, winning won’t come easy no matter what the locker room dynamic is. This is a flawed roster, centered around an unproven quarterback and another recovering from a devastating leg injury. There are some intriguing pieces like wide receiver Terry McLaurin, but overall they’re lacking the talent that Rivera had with the Panthers.
One thing is for sure. If Rivera can somehow turn this bumbling group into a regular contender, he’ll have more Coach of the Year awards in his future.
