Halas Hall is adorned with memorabilia from the Chicago Bears’ more imposing days, especially their 1985 Super Bowl season.
As they trudge on through an interview process that has already seen seven candidates meet virtually with Bears brass, the Bears will conduct their first in-person interview of the cycle with free agent coach Ron Rivera, per NFL on CBS’ Jonathan Jones on January 11.
Ron Rivera a Symbol of Bears’ Best Eras Amid HC Interviews
HC Record: 102-103-2 (CAR: 76-63-1; WAS: 26-40-1)
Playoff Record: 3-5 (CAR: 3-4; WAS: 0-1)
Nostalgia Stronger Than Record Ron Rivera
At his coaching peak, “Riverboat” Ron Rivera guided the Panthers to the Super Bowl. They boasted the No. 1 scoring offense thanks in large part to the eventual MVP, quarterback Cam Newton. But Rivera – a linebacker during his playing days and defensive coordinator before becoming a head coach – called the No. 6 total and scoring defense as well.
That was in Year 3 of a stretch featuring four playoff trips in five seasons.
Three of those seasons account for all of Rivera’s winning campaigns as a head coach. His Panthers made the playoffs with a 7-8-1 record in 2014. Rivera was fired in Week 13 of the 2019 season with a 5-7 mark.
Rivera did not coach in 2024.
He was last with the Washington Commanders. He made the playoffs in Year 1 – at 7-9 – but got fired following the 2023 season with a 4-13 record.
It was their fourth straight season without a winning record under Rivera; his entire tenure.
Before becoming a head coach, Rivera spent six years as a linebackers coach – five with the Philadelphia Eagles and one with the then-San Diego Chargers – and six as a defensive coordinator with the Bears and Chargers (three years apiece). One of the most experienced candidates in the known pool for the Bears, Rivera has strong ties to the organization.
Former Panthers and Commanders head coach Ron Rivera will interview this weekend for the Bears head coach position, source says. Rivera, a two-time NFL Coach of the Year, played for the ’85 Bears and was the DC for their Super Bowl XLI run. pic.twitter.com/DUvGgwQuhR
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) January 11, 2025
Ron Rivera a Lasting Symbol of Bears Eras Gone By
Rivera was the defensive coordinator under Lovie Smith when the Bears went to the Super Bowl following the 2006 season. He was also a quality control coach with the Bears in 1997 and 1998 to begin his coaching career.
That was six years after “Chico” Rivera retired from playing.
A second-round pick by the Bears in 1984, he played his entire nine-year career in Chicago, winning a Super Bowl in 1985.
Hiring Rivera would be, to put it lightly, a very Bears thing to do. An organization both infatuated with and haunted by its past hoping one of its past members can return it to those glory days. To his credit, Rivera has earned plaudits for being the “adult in the room” for owners who were not.
Still, in a hiring cycle where retreads are popular, third chances (threetreads?) remain rare.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles has leaned into his desire to find a “leader of men,” but that cannot override what happens between the white lines.
Players are generally willing to buy into new coaches. That belief wanes quickly when those results do not come or are fleeting. The Bears have experienced both – and with different types of coaches – making their current plight much more complex.