Rivera didn’t deserve to end his time in Carolina this way, but it’s was necessary so owner David Tepper could get a jump-start on the search for the Panthers’ next head coach.
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It can be true that Ron Rivera was the best head coach in Panthers history—a known mensch around the league and a person who has developed a great deal of talent, especially on defense. It can also be true that firing him with a month to go in the season was absolutely the right decision for second-year owner David Tepper to make.