Report: “All signs” point to Ron Rivera becoming Redskins head coach

The Redskins are moving fast after the conclusion of their 2019 season.

The Washington Redskins lost 47-16 to the Dallas Cowboys less than twelve hours ago, and already, there is serious momentum being gained in the head coaching search, so much so that a decision may have already been made.

Yesterday, after the game, various updates became available pertaining to the Redskins head coaching search, as well as the general manager situation. Those updates supported the notion that Ron Rivera and Washington were working quickly to get a deal done, and that in-house entities such as Eric Schaffer and Kyle Smith were involved in the process.

Now, in the early morning hours of Black Monday, we have strong corroboration from NFL insider Ian Rapoport. According to Rapoport, the meeting between Rivera and the Redskins today is essentially “a coronation”. Rapoport says that “all signs” point to Rivera becoming Washington’s head coach today, so much so that it is the expectation. Rapoport noted that all parties, including Rivera’s agent, are motivated to get a deal done.

The fact that both sides are moving this quickly is both promising and disconcerting. Reasonably, Rivera wouldn’t be this motivated to forge a marriage with Washington unless Bruce Allen had no influence in the front office, and reports have come out that suggest that Eric Schaffer is involved in the hire, and that Kyle Smith may be involved as well.

Rivera’s interest favorably indicates the involvement of two rising Redskins front office executives, but Rivera himself is not a home-run candidate. He does have head coaching experience, and he has reached a Super Bowl in his career. He’s also known as a motivator and a good leader in the locker room. But he may not be analytically inclined enough to adequately self-scout if things go south, and there are also questions surrounding what kind of offensive staff he’ll field. Will he break up the bond between Kevin O’Connell and Dwayne Haskins?

In time, it appears as though we’ll get the answers to those questions. Because according to Ian Rapoport, all signs point to Ron Rivera being the next head coach of the Washington Redskins.