It didn't take long for the Washington Redskins to hire Ron Rivera as their new head coach and they made it official on Wednesday.
"After several meetings with Coach Rivera, it was clear he is the right person to bring winning football back to Washington D.C.," owner Dan Snyder said in a statement. "He is widely respected around the league as a man of great integrity and has proven to be one of the finest coaches in the country."
An introductory press conference is scheduled for Thursday at 2 p.m. ET.
Once the Redskins had their sights set on the two-time Coach of the Year, they didn't even give Rivera the chance to interview with other teams. They signed him before he left the building.
"While I love the storied history of the franchise, I am focused on the future and excited for the opportunity to win football games with this talented young team," Rivera said in a statement. "After meeting Dan Snyder, it was clear we are aligned in our passion for the game and he supports my vision to turn the team around. I look forward to surrounding myself with great people and getting to work."
Rivera spent eight-and-a-half seasons with the Carolina Panthers before he was fired on Dec. 3rd. He told reporters before he left that he "will coach again" -- four weeks later, he is the first coach hired in this cycle.
Rivera is already making his first big hire by adding former Raiders and Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio to be his new defensive coordinator. Del Rio will call plays which Rivera did in Carolina, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport added. Rivera also plans to interview incumbent offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell for the same post, a source told Rapoport, noting that O'Connell's work with Dwayne Haskins has impressed Washington's new head coach.
