The Carolina Panthers announced that they have reached an agreement on a three-year extension with HC Ron Rivera.
- Joe Person reports that Ron Rivera’s extension is worth between $4 million and $5 million per year, which is similar to the contract the Lions gave to Jim Caldwell.
- Person adds that Rivera was averaged $2.8 million per year in previous contract.
The Panthers could have elected to give Rivera a one-year extension to prevent him from being a “lame duck” coach in 2014, but it’s clear that they view him as their long-term option.
“The improvement of our team has been reflected in the progress of the record over the last three seasons under Ron, and we look forward to building upon that foundation,” said Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson.
Rivera, 52, signed a four-year contract worth $11.2 million with the Panthers back in 2011. His tenure started off pretty rocky as he led them to a 13-19 record during his first two seasons in Carolina, which was highlighted by the fact that they were 2-12 in one-score games.
This season, Rivera managed to not only get the into the playoffs, but helped them secure the No. 2 overall seed while finishing with a 12-4 regular-season record.
Rivera was voted the Coach of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America and is also in contention for the Associated Press Coach of the Year award as well.
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