Kevin Acee is reporting that Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera is meeting with the ownership of the Carolina Panthers today and that he is likely to be announced as the Panthers new head coach sometime Tuesday.
Shortly after Acee broke the news, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweeted the following:
"AdamSchefter Adam SchefterPanthers Exec on RR: “He’s coming in for 2nd int. Nothing done. Could it happen quickly? Yes. Could it not happen quickly or at all? Yes.”"
If the news is true it would be a bit of a blow to the Chargers. Rivera is an excellent defensive coordinator and has interviewed with 9 teams for head coaching positions since 2006. He has been the front runner to land the Panthers job for a while so the Chargers were likely expecting this.
Rivera leaving the Chargers would mean all 4 AFC West teams will make some sort of major coaching move in the coming weeks. The Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos are looking for head coaches and the Chiefs will of course need an offensive coordinator.
Rivera also served as the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears from 2004-2006.
What do you think Addicts? Will the loss of Rivera harm the Chargers on the defensive side of the ball?