NFL Panthers coach Ron Rivera claims that Owner David Tepper "did not influence" his decision yesterday to fire a pair of defensive assistant coaches amid the team's four-game losing streak, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. He said that the moves came as a "collaborative process" between Rivera, Tepper and GM Marty Hurney. Rivera: “My conversation with Mr. Tepper after the game yesterday was about exactly the game. My conversation with him today (Monday) was really about what I was going to do, the direction we are going to head as a football team." Rivera yesterday indicated that, "based on his relationship with and knowledge of Tepper, if the Panthers’ first-year owner were going to make a decision about Rivera’s future, he’d tell him so straight to his face -- which Rivera indicated Tepper has not done" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 12/4). In Charlotte, Scott Fowler writes firing somebody in midseason is the "sort of move you make when you’re worried you might be next -- or else when your boss forces you to do it" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 12/4).
THE NEW BOSS: CBSSPORTS.com's Jason La Canfora on Sunday morning cited sources as saying that Tepper was "becoming increasingly frustrated with the team's recent performances and is mulling major changes if the results do not change quickly." Sources said that Tepper has been "reaching out increasingly to confidants and associates around the league in recent weeks and expressing a growing sense that he may need to shake up the organization." Tepper has been "concerned about the lack of analytics in the franchise and has wondered whether the franchise was too old school in some regards" (CBSSPORTS.com, 12/2). NBC's Peter King said Tepper “strikes me as a guy who’s going to look at this situation not over three months or how ever long he’s been owner, but over a year." He adds he does not believe Rivera's job is in "significant trouble.” NBCSN's Mike Florio noted Rivera signed a contract extension through '20 “before Tepper bought the team." Florio: "It’s the cost of doing business if Tepper decides he wants to move on” (“PFT,” NBCSN, 12/4). ESPN's Rex Ryan said he “can understand why that seat” for Rivera “is getting a little hot, but I still don’t believe he’s going anywhere” (“Get Up,” ESPN, 12/3).
