Black Monday Blues: See What Coaches Have Been Fired In The NFL
Ron Rivera was shown the door in Washington, D.C.
If November has a Black Friday, then January is the NFL's Black Monday, as head coaches who haven't lived up to the expectations of team leadership are escorted from the arena.
Unsurprisingly, Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera received his pink slip after the team's horrendous 38-10 loss against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. New Commanders's owner, Josh Harris, reportedly wanted to wait until the end of the 2023 season to assess his head coaching options, but the hammer came down on Rivera on Monday.
"Today, we made the decision to part ways with Ron Rivera. I want to thank Ron and his wife Stephanie for all they did for the Commanders and DMV community, especially during the ownership transition," owner Josh Harris said in a statement on Monday.
"Ron helped navigate this organization through some challenging times. He is a good man and thoughtful leader who has positively contributed to this organization and the NFL. I wish the Rivera family nothing but the best moving forward."
Ron Rivera’s Last Stand
The Commanders' eighth consecutive loss capped a 4-13 season. The showing is the worst in Rivera's four-year run with the team. Rivera's record in the Capital city concludes with a 26-40-1 overall record, one playoff appearance, one NFC East title, and no winning seasons. He brought in offensive strategist Eric Bienemy this season to turn things around, but it needed to be faster.
However, the Commanders are already moving to hire two-time NBA Executive of the Year Bob Myers, who is responsible for the Golden State Warriors championship dynasty. According to reports, he will help run the franchise while adding former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman to a front-office role.
The Commanders finished 0-6 within the NFC East. The 62-year-old Rivera is now 102-103-2 in his 13 years as an NFL head coach, and without a winning record in his last six seasons, many believe Rivera is on his way out of the league or to a front-office position.
However, it should be noted that Rivera led the team through the email and toxic workplace scandals that eventually took down the previous owner, Dan Snyder. The quarterback position revolved fast during his tenure, with eight quarterbacks earning the starting slot.
Dirty Birds Bad News
The Atlanta Falcons also fired head coach Arthur Smith, with Smith finishing 7-10 for the third straight season, with an overall record of 21-30 as Falcons head coach.
He has no playoff appearances.
This season saw many turnovers in the head coach position, with the Las Vegas Raiders' Josh McDaniels being let go, as well as the Carolina Panthers' Frank Reich and Los Angeles Chargers' Brandon Staley.
Black Monday is a historically bad news cycle.