The New York Giants are 2-10 in their second season under head coach Pat Shurmur. They are on an 8 game losing streak and have a 7-21 combined record from the start of last season.
Pat Shurmur is starting to feel the pressure. Rumor has it, the Giants are already considering firing Shurmur, and he senses that it will happen. On Tuesday, however, a coach was fired, but not Pat Shurmur.
The Carolina Panthers announced on Tuesday that they had fired their head coach Ron Rivera. Ron Rivera has been the head coach of the Panthers since 2011 and has an excellent track record. If/When the Giants fire Pat Shurmur, Ron Rivera should be at the top of their list of candidates.
Ron Rivera’s Record And Achievements
Rivera was named the fourth head coach in Carolina Panthers history in 2011 and earned a 76-63-1 regular-season record and a 3-4 postseason mark. In nine seasons, Rivera guided the team to a Super Bowl appearance, an NFC Championship, and three NFC South titles.
Ron Rivera is a former player turned coach that has been coaching since1997. The former linebacker is a defensive-minded head coach that has put together numerous top-tier defensive units in his coaching career. 8 times in his career as both a defensive coordinator and head coach has Ron Rivera seen his unit rank amongst the ten best in the league.
Ron Rivera could be precisely what the New York Giants need. He is an experienced coach with an excellent defensive scheme that gets the most out of his players. He has proven that he knows how to win and sustain success as a head coach in the NFL. Ron Rivera has won the AP NFL Coach of the Year award twice in his career (2013 and 2015).
The Giants’ last two head coaches (Ben McAdoo and the current coach, Pat Shurmur) have been mostly inexperienced offensive coordinators trying to make a jump to the next level. Ron Rivera is already a proven coach that could develop the Giants’ young roster into a winning team. Plus, Rivera already has a connection to the New York Giants that could make him their top candidate.
The Dave Gettleman Connection
In addition to his impressive career record and achievements, the Giants might also favor hiring Ron Rivera because of his connection to general manager Dave Gettleman. Now, there is no guarantee that Gettleman’s job is safe it this point. But if the Giants decide they do not need to clean house entirely and fire only the coaching staff, then Dave Gettleman and Ron Rivera could make a reunion.
Dave Gettleman was the general manager of the Carolina Panthers from 2013-2017. Gettleman inherited Ron Rivera and his coaching staff, and the two had a great run together. The tandem compiled a regular-season record of 51-28-1. Rivera and Gettleman’s Panthers advanced to the playoffs 4 seasons and won 3 NFC South titles during their 5 years together and even made it to one Super Bowl.
Gettleman and Rivera’s previous success together could be reason enough for the Giants to hire the recently fired head coach. The Giants need to get back to their winning ways and have been unable to do so with the combination of Gettleman and Shurmur. Maybe Dave Gettleman and Ron Rivera could replicate their success from Carolina in the future with the New York Giants.