Ron Rivera

Ron Rivera is known around the league as a teacher with an innate ability to build his team around the strengths of his players. A two-time NFL Coach of the Year, Rivera inherited a 2-14 Carolina team as a rookie head coach in 2011 and guided it back to relevance in 2015 as Carolina won its second NFC Championship in franchise history, third consecutive NFC South division title and appeared in Super Bowl 50. Carolina finished the season with a franchise-best 17-2 record, including home playoff victories over Seattle in the Divisional round and Arizona in the NFC Championship game. Brought to Carolina for his defensive expertise, Rivera has not disappointed as the Panthers put together four consecutive top 10 finishes in yards allowed from 2012-15, joining Seattle as the only teams to accomplish the feat.