Carolina Panthers: 5 Dream replacements for Ron Rivera as head coach
4. Robert Saleh
Current Role: 49ers defensive coordinator
As the San Francisco 49ers have made the leap in the 2019 NFL season, much credit has been given to head coach Kyle Shanahan and rightfully so. However, a deservingly large amount of merit also belongs to defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. He’s taken a talented but under-performing defense and transformed them into one of the best groups in the league, even with losing a player like Kwon Alexander in the middle of the field.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
Saleh is going to be a highly coveted commodity in head coaching searches this offseason. His hard-nosed and creative defensive stylings are those that can truly help a team control a game. And while he’s the only truly defensive-minded name that appears as a dream replacement for Ron Rivera, he would be well worth the risk of not immediately catering to the offense.
3. Lincoln Riley
Current Role: Oklahoma Sooners head coach
Despite the fact that there are no indications that Lincoln Riley is leaving Norman anytime soon, the Oklahoma head coach’s name consistently comes up whenever there’s a coaching search involved. And that makes sense considering what he’s done with the Sooners in three years. He’s established himself as a true offensive mastermind, showing things in college that NFL teams are shamelessly borrowing from.
With the potential change from Cam Newton and weapons like McCaffrey, D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel around him, Riley could be the perfect guy for the job. He’s shown the ability to cater his offense to different types of players (particularly at quarterback) and that could come into play here.
It’s difficult to imagine Riley leaving and, if he does, Carolina would almost surely not be at the top of the list. But in terms of the fit, the OU head man would be a great addition for the Panthers to move forward with.