WE START TONIGHT WITH THAT
MAJOR BREAKING NEWS.
TODAY THE PANTHERS FIRING HEAD
COACH RON RIVERA AFTER NINE
SEASONS.
THIS COMES TWO DAYS AFTER
THE TEAMS FOURTH LOSS IN A ROW.
WE HAVE COVERAGE FROM BANK OF
AMERICA STADIUM WITH FAN
REACTION.
THE FACTORS THAT MIGHT HAVE
SEALED RIVERA'S FATE.
WE WANT TO START WITH SHAWN
BROWN.
WE KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN COVERING
EVERY PANTHERS GAME THIS SEASON
SO YOU HAVE PROBABLY SEEN SOME
OF THE DYNAMICS LEADING UP TO
THIS.
Reporter: AS RECENTLY AS
THIS SUNDAY YOU COULD HEAR FANS
BOOING FROM THE STANDS.
IT IS BEEN FRUSTRATING FOR THEM
BUT ALSO COACH RIVERA WATCHING
THE TEAM SPIRAL INTO THIS FOUR-
GAME LOSING STREAK.
WE HEARD FROM THE TEAM OWNER
SAYING HE WILL NOT STAND FOR
MEDIOCRITY. HERE'S WHAT HE HAD
TO SAY, HE SAID HE BELIEVES
THIS IS THE BEST LONG-TERM
DECISION FOR THE SUCCESS OF
THIS TEAM.
HE WENT ON TO SAY HE HAS A
GREAT DEAL OF RESPECT FOR
RIVERA AND HE PLANS TO START A
SEARCH FOR HIS REPLACEMENT
IMMEDIATELY.
THE ISSUES FOR THIS TEAM
STARTED OUT FROM THE GATE WHEN
CAM NEWTON WENT DOWN WITH A
FOOT SPRAIN.
THE TEAM PUT HIM ON INJURED
RESERVE.
SINCE THEN KYLE ALLEN HAS BEEN
THE STARTER BUT THIS IS HIS
ROOKIE SEASON BUT ALSO HE HAS
STRUGGLED.
THE KICKER WAS PUT ON IR BEFORE
THE SEASON STARTED.
SAME WITH THE LEFT GUARD.
SEVERAL OTHER KEY PLAYERS HAVE
ALSO MISSED GAMES DUE TO
INJURY.
ALL THAT ASIDE, IN THIS LEAGUE
THIS IS NEXT MAN UP.
A LOT OF TEAMS HAVE HAD TO DEAL
WITH A LOT OF INJURIES.
IT DOES LOOK LIKE SUNDAY'S LOSS
TO THE REDSKINS WAS THE FINAL
STRAW, THE PANTHERS ARE NOW OUT
OF THE PLAYOFF RACE.
WE HAVE TO BE WHERE WE ARE
SUPPOSED TO BE.
COACHES US COACHES HAVE SHOWN
US WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
I AM NOT WORRIED ABOUT MY
FUTURE.
I'M WORRIED ABOUT THIS FOOTBALL
TEAM'S FUTURE WITH A GAME
COMING UP SUNDAY.
THE PANTHERS DO STILL HAVE A
GAME THIS SUNDAY PLAYING AT
ATLANTA.
AT THAT TIME THE SECONDARY
COACH WILL STEP IN TO LEAD THE
TEAM FOR NOW.
I WANT TO GET OUT TO MY
COLLEAGUE JOE BRUNO WITH A
SENSE OF HOW FANS ARE REACTING.
MIXED EMOTIONS CLEARLY BASED
ON THE PERFORMANCE THIS YEAR
AND LAST YEAR.
THE PANTHERS HAVE NOT PERFORMED
IN AN ACCEPTABLE WAY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT THERE
COULD BE A CHANGE BUT STILL RON
RIVERA HAS ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH
FOR THE TEAM.
HE WAS THE TWO-TIME NFL COACH
OF THE YEAR EARNING THE HONOR
IN 2013 AND 2015.
HE LED THE PANTHERS TO THE
SUPER BOWL STARTING THE SEASON
WITH 14 STRAIGHT WINS.
OFF THE FIELD HE WAS HEAVILY
INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY
SERVING AS THE HONORARY CHAIR
OF THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF
CHARLOTTE.
HE ALSO RAISED THOUSANDS FOR
THE PANCREATIC CANCER ACTION
NETWORK.
HE HAS COACHED A TEAM RIDDLED
WITH INJURIES AND SOME FANS ARE
SAD TO SEE HIM GO.
I THOUGHT HE WAS A GREAT
HEAD COACH WHO GOT ALONG WITH
HIS PLAYERS REALLY WELL.
THE FACT THAT HE KIND OF SEEMS
LIKE A GUY THAT TOLD YOU HOW
WAS. WITH THE PANTHERS
PLAYOFF HOPES OUT OF THE
PICTURE, THE HOPE NOW IS THAT
THE TEAM CAN FINISH STRONG.
THE SEARCH FOR A NEW COACH HAS
BEGUN IMMEDIATELY.
HE HAS BEEN A REAL PART OF
THE COMMUNITY, MORE THAN JUST A
COACH OF THE PANTHERS BUT SO
INTRICATELY INVOLVED.
THAT IS WHAT MAKES IT