Rivera fired; ex-GMs to lead Washington overhaul

In a sweeping overhaul of the franchise’s football leadership that started with the dismissal of coach Ron Rivera on Monday morning, Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris has hired two prominent executives — former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers and former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman — to assist his ownership group with searches for a new head of football operations and head coach, team officials told ESPN.

Rivera, who joined the Commanders in 2020, had final say in all football decisions and hired the team’s front office. But after capturing the NFC East in Rivera’s first season with a 7-9 record, the Commanders were never able to produce a winning record.

“I want every Washington fan to know how much I appreciate your unwavering support,” Rivera said in a statement. “Through all the name changes, roster moves, non-football headlines and seasons that did not meet your expectations, you still stood by this team. We did win an NFC East title in 2020, but we fell short since then and for that, I am truly disappointed.”

The team finished this season at 4-13 and last in the NFC East, and it went 26-40-1 in his four seasons at the helm.

In a statement, Harris thanked Rivera, calling him a “good man” and “thoughtful leader” but noting that “the results this season were not good enough, and a strategic shift in leadership and approach is necessary.

On the timeline to install new leadership, Harris told reporters on Monday that the process would be rapid with the team already putting out multiple requests for interviews. But he emphasized that it would be a thoughtful approach.

“You have to make long-term decisions and do things one person at a time, one athlete at a time,” said Harris. “So sometimes they take longer. So I think what my view is that we want it to be as quick as we can, but the ultimate goal is to be an elite team.”

Myers, the architect of four championships with the Warriors and a current ESPN NBA analyst, and Spielman, a 30-year NFL front office executive, will work with Harris and limited partners Mitch Rales, Magic Johnson and David Blitzer as part of an advisory committee designed to reshape the Commanders’ front office and coaching staff, team officials told ESPN.

In a search that will commence immediately, Myers will take a lead role in identifying and coordinating interviews with candidates for the top football operations and head-coaching jobs, with Spielman set to work closely with him, officials said.

The allure of the Commanders’ job openings will be buoyed by having the No. 2 pick in a quarterback-rich 2024 draft and projected salary cap space that is among the most in the NFL this offseason.

Harris will be closely involved in the search processes, but his long-standing relationship with Myers — a two-time NBA executive of the year — evolved in recent months and convinced the owner that Myers’ championship résumé and industry relationships could play a significant role in building Washington’s new leadership structure.

“Bob Myers is a winner; who wouldn’t want him on your team trying to help your franchise?,” said Harris. “He knows how to identify talent, how to build winning franchises, winning cultures.”

“Obviously Rick Spielman brings a wealth of football knowledge and …. brings that knowledge of football that you need when you’re interviewing candidates.”

The Commanders’ current front office, including GM Martin Mayhew and executive VP of football/player personnel Marty Hurney, will remain on staff through the search process, officials said. The new head of football operations and head coach will determine their long-term futures with the Commanders, team officials told ESPN.

“This is a crucial offseason for us, and we won’t shy away from the work needed to get back to a place where we can deliver a winning culture top to bottom,” Harris said in a statement shared with ESPN. “… I’ve known Bob a long time and watched him construct four championship teams and a highly successful organization in Golden State. … He is innovative, thoughtful, well-connected across sports and understands what it takes to solidify and sustain championship infrastructure. I think he’s going to be incredibly additive.”

Myers stepped down as GM of the Warriors in June, with four championships in his final eight years on the job. The Warriors reached the NBA Finals six times in Myers’ 11 seasons as GM, losing only to Toronto (2019) and Cleveland (2016). Myers led the Warriors’ 2016 free agent pursuit of Kevin Durant, who was part of two titles with the Warriors before tearing an Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals.

Myers was hired as an assistant GM in 2011 and promoted to GM in 2012, and outside of Steph Curry‘s arrival predating his own, had overseen two Curry contract extensions, drafts, trades and signings that sculpted one of the league’s modern dynasties. Myers was a prominent player agent before joining the Warriors’ front office in 2011.

Myers joined ESPN as an NBA studio and game analyst in August and will continue in that role.

“I have been fortunate to know Josh Harris for many years and his commitment to building championship-caliber teams is what drew me here,” Myers said in a statement. “In my experience, championship infrastructure begins with a strong ownership group that prioritizes culture and invests in attracting the industry’s most talented and innovative leaders. … This is the type of opportunity that really inspires me, and I look forward to contributing to the next chapter of this storied franchise.”

Spielman — who had been the Vikings’ GM for nine years until he was fired in January 2022 — has 30 years of NFL front office experience.

Harris purchased the Commanders for an NFL-record $6.05 billion in May. He replaced Daniel Snyder, whose 24-year run as the franchise’s owner was mired in scandal, dysfunction and losing seasons.

“It wasn’t easy and there is a lot more to be done,” Rivera said about the Commanders in his statement, “but I believe we began to change the culture of this organization in meaningful ways.”

Rivera has a career coaching record of 102-103-2 in the regular season. He led the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl in the 2015 season.

“My life has always been football, and it is a wonderful life,” Rivera said in his statement. “As a player, and now as a coach, I’ve watched in amazement every week as the impossible is done again and again on the field. I have tremendous respect for the NFL because of all that it does to lift communities and people together. Football has become an integral part of America and America is a part of what is truly great about football.”

ESPN’s John Keim contributed to this report.