Ron Rivera

Ronald Eugene Rivera, born January 7, 1962, in Fort Ord, California, built a four-decade NFL career as a Super Bowl champion linebacker and a two-time Coach of the Year. Of Puerto Rican, Mexican, and Filipino descent, Rivera was a consensus All-American at the University of California, Berkeley before the Chicago Bears selected him in the second round of the 1984 NFL Draft.

Rivera spent all nine of his NFL playing seasons in Chicago and was a member of the legendary 1985 Bears defense that won Super Bowl XX—becoming the first American of Puerto Rican descent to win a Super Bowl. After retiring in 1992, he returned to the Bears as a defensive assistant and later defensive coordinator (2004-2006), where he was named PFWA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2005 and helped Chicago reach Super Bowl XLI. He also served as defensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers.

In 2011, Rivera became head coach of the Carolina Panthers, leading the franchise to a Super Bowl 50 appearance and earning NFL Coach of the Year honors in both 2013 and 2015. He later served as head coach of the Washington Football Team and Commanders, leading them to an NFC East title in 2020 while undergoing treatment for squamous cell carcinoma—a fight that earned him the 2022 George Halas Award. In 2025, Rivera was named general manager at his alma mater, California. He and his wife Stephanie have two children.