Ron Rivera says he has plenty of NFL options after being fired by Commanders

Former Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera may not be out of a job for very long.

The 62-year-old recently divulged to ESPN’s John Keim that he’s had plenty of interest from NFL teams after the Commanders fired him following a 4-13 season, indicating it’s only a matter of time before he’s back on the sidelines.

“I have several opportunities right now,” Rivera said. “I just want to make sure it's the right one.”

Though he’s spent the last 13 years as a head coach, Rivera told ESPN that he’s even willing to come back as a defensive coordinator — a role he served in for three seasons with the Chicago Bears from 2004 to 2006 and three seasons with the Chargers from 2008 to 2010 before taking a head-coaching job with the Carolina Panthers in 2011.

In four seasons with the Commanders, Rivera won just 26 games and he did not have a winning season. This year was his worst as a coach, winning fewer than five games for the first time in his career. But according to Rivera, it was a year of personal growth that will help him be better in whatever his next NFL role will be.

“Sometimes you do have to take a step back,” Rivera added. “You take a step back you learn and grow from it. … This was probably the greatest learning experience I've had in a while this year. I mean, a lot of things came to light at certain times this past season that I think going forward will really help me.”

Rivera has a 102-103-1 record as an NFL head coach with five playoff appearances, four division titles, three seasons with double-digit wins and one Super Bowl appearance. He also won the AP NFL Coach of the Year award twice (2013, 2015).