Ron Rivera

WSB Exclusive Speaker

Former Head Coach of the Washington Commanders; Former NFL player

Ron Rivera'S SPEAKING FEE $40K - $70K

Ron Rivera

"My responsibility is to get the most out of the players. To work with them, teach them, mentor them. If I have to do it one by one, I most certainly will do it. I've done it in the past and I'll do it again. I'll do what I can to help these young men become not just the players we want, but the men in the community we need. - Ron Rivera"

Ron Rivera is an accomplished NFL football coach, player, motivational speaker, and broadcast talent. Ron currently works as on-air talent with the NFL Network on shows like Good Morning Football and NFL GameDay.

As a Head Coach, Ron was most recently with the Washington Commanders NFL Franchise. Shortly after his start with the Commanders, Rivera was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC), detected from a self-care check. Rivera continued to coach through his treatments without missing a single game, and in January 2021, he was declared cancer free. Rivera is a passionate and skilled leader whose inspirational message challenges teams to rise to the occasion to overcome obstacles in their path.

Prior to his position with the Commanders, he served as the winningest head coach for the Carolina Panthers professional football team from 2011 to 2019, which included three consecutive NFC South Division titles from 2013 to 2015 and the 2015 championship team representing the NFC in Superbowl 50! As a former player, he played 9 seasons with the Chicago Bears including the 1985 Super Bowl XX championship team.

Before playing in the NFL, Rivera played college football at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was recognized as an All-American linebacker for the California Golden Bears and where he met his wife of almost 40 years. Ron is married to Stephanie and has a son Christopher and daughter Courtney.

He was named the 2013 & 2015 NFL Head Coach of the Year and has earned the nickname “Riverboat Ron” for his seemingly “risky” style of play-calling. Rivera has collaborated with top brands, including “on pack”, digital, social, and TV promotion with Pepsi, special edition digital comic books with Gatorade, TV promotion with Mercedes-Benz and Microsoft Surface and NFL Brand ambassador to USAA Salute to Service.

Featured Videos

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Ron Rivera Speaking Reel

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Ron Rivera on Unlocking Potential: Cultivating Talent and Empowering Teams

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Ron Rivera on Creating Opportunity for Minority Coaches

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Ron Rivera speaks to NFL Organization Culture

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Ron Rivera on Leadership & Change within the Commanders Culture

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Ron Rivera on Supporting Players During Difficult Times

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Ron Rivera on Using Your Voice for Good

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Ron Rivera on Starting with the Washington Commanders

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Ron Rivera on Overcoming Cancer

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Ron Rivera on How He Got into Coaching

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34th Hispanic Heritage Awards – Sports Award – Coach Ron Rivera

Ron Rivera’s Speech Topics

Building Cultures of Excellence

Learn the secrets of how to build a resilient, winning culture as well as effective, high-performing teams from one of the NFL’s premier coaches. As the 2013 and 2015 NFL Head Coach of the Year, Ron Rivera knows what it takes to mold and motivate successful teams. His insight can help your organization succeed in the following areas:
- Creating and maintaining a culture of greatness in the midst of challenge and change
- Communicating with leaders, teammates, and stakeholders to build cohesive teams that align with organizational goals
- Mentoring and connecting in meaningful ways
- How to re-build a team affected by scandal or tragedy
- Shutting off the noise and protecting culture
- Establishing a diverse talent pool and why leaders need to be involved in the hiring process
- Building a disciplined, yet aggressive communication plan
- Bridging departments, encouraging teams to rally around an organization’s vision, and making a significant impact on the bottom line
Leadership

Through inspiring stories of personal struggles, experiences as a head coach, and his faith, Rivera identifies the core values every leader must display to manage and motivate themselves and others. His insights include:
- How to become the type of leader others follow, even through adversity
- How to hold people (and yourself) accountable
- How to bridge the gap with difficult personalities
- Provide an honest assessment of what people need to hear (and not just what they want to hear)
- Leaders must set the standard and live by their core values before expecting others to do the same
- The difference between dreams and visions and participation and competition
- How to perform at your best
- The discipline it takes to innovate, lead, and take decisive action
- Stories of how his time as a player and coach has shaped his management philosophy
- How the lessons he’s learned can help make you a better leader and coach for your team
Overcoming Obstacles

Ron Rivera, Former Head Coach of the Washington Commanders, shares the lessons he’s learned from over 40 years of playing and coaching in the NFL. As Superbowl Champion, winningest coach in Carolina Panthers’ history, and former head coach for the Commanders, Rivera knows what it takes to overcome obstacles that stand in the way of success. His insights include experiences of overcoming both personal and professional obstacles:
- Rivera believes the greatest investment you can make is in YOURSELF. He teaches audiences to invest in the things you can control: your attitude, your preparation, and your effort
- As coach of the Carolina Panthers, he took a team that was 2-14 in 2011 and transformed it into an NFL force, including three consecutive NFC South division titles and an appearance in Super Bowl 50
- Soon after being named head coach of the Commanders, Rivera was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma – enduring treatment while continuing to coach, and never missing a game
- Picking up the pieces after having a house-fire while going through cancer treatment in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic
- The pain of losing his brother Mickey to pancreatic cancer
- Staying mentally tough and resilient through faith and personal relationships
- As two-time NFL coach of the year, Rivera has a reputation for hard work, a disciplined approach, and relentless preparation

Ron Rivera Topics & Types

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Ron Rivera

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Featured Videos

Ron Rivera’s Speech Topics

Building Cultures of Excellence

Leadership

Overcoming Obstacles

Ron Rivera Topics & Types

REQUEST AVAILABILITY