The Atlanta Falcons are gearing up to play the Carolina Panthers this week, but when they do host their mediocre rival for a mediocre football game this Sunday, Ron Rivera won’t be on the sideline.
The Panthers have fired their coach for the past nine seasons, bringing an end to the second-longest head coaching tenure in the division, behind the Saints and Sean Payton.
It was an overdue move. Rivera was 76-63 in nearly nine full years at the helm, and after an 11-5 2017 season, his team had gone 12-16 with major second half swoons in each of the last two years.