Ron Rivera told ESPN’s John Keim last week that he was interested in coaching again and had ‘multiple opportunities’ – and now we apparently know one.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Rivera is set to interview with the Eagles for their defensive coordinator position, which opened up officially Sunday when the Birds fired Sean Desai.
94WIP Midday Show hosts Joe Giglio and Hugh Douglas, plus 94WIP's Eliot Shorr-Parks and Ike Reese are all in favor of Rivera becoming the Eagles' next DC.
Rivera, now 62, has been a head coach for the last 13 seasons in Washington and Carolina, but in his last stint as a DC, the 2010 Chargers led the NFL in total defense, and his three Chargers teams ranked second, fourth, and second in points allowed from 2008-10.
He did spend the final few weeks of this season once again calling the Commanders’ defense after Jack Del Rio was fired following Washington’s lopsided Thanksgiving Day loss in Dallas, an experience he said in his final words following his departure from the team as one he enjoyed greatly.
Ron also has a history in Philly, as he was Andy Reid’s linebackers coach from 1999-2003, the first five seasons of Reid’s tenure, working under the legendary Jim Johnson, a job that springboarded him to his first DC job in Chicago in 2004.
And, as PHLY’s Zach Berman Tweeted Monday, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie had this to say when Rivera was hired as Commanders head coach in 2020:
“He's a family member of ours. Stephanie and my wife play golf together, and Ron is somebody I really respect. He's a high-quality person in every sense of the word.”
The Eagles fired Desai Sunday night, officially ending his first and only season in Philly weeks after he was moved upstairs to the coaching booth and senior defensive assistant Matt Patricia was tasked with defensive play-calling.
Patricia is no longer under contract, either, and is expected to be a top candidate for defensive coordinator positions around the league, so the defensive side of the ball could be a clean slate in Philly for whomever is brought in.