Rivera, Caldwell Latest Dallas Coaching Candidates

Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera finally arrived at Cowboys headquarters around 4 p.m. Tuesday. He spoke with reporters before meeting with team owner Jerry Jones to discuss the head coaching vacancy created when Bill Parcells retired more than two weeks ago.

Rivera didn't officially become a candidate until speaking with Jones for a few minutes Monday night. However, he'd been expecting the call since Jones decided to hold the job open through Super Bowl week, when Rivera was off-limits because he was getting his team ready for the game.

Rivera was the ninth person Jones interviewed. Indianapolis quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell will become No. 10 on Wednesday.

Dallas went 9-7 this past season, with a loss to Seattle in the first round of the playoffs. The Cowboys, who haven't won a playoff game since 1996, collapsed in December and January primarily because of breakdowns on defense.

Rivera, 45, played nine seasons in the NFL and has been a coach for 10, the last three as defensive coordinator of the Bears. Although he's never been a head coach, he's interviewed several times this postseason and last offseason.

A big question surrounding this opening is how legitimate a candidate he is for the top job. There's speculation that San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner has it locked up, and that Jones wants Rivera as defensive coordinator.

Rivera was a linebacker for the Bears from 1984-92, winning a championship with the '85 team that had Buddy Ryan as the defensive coordinator.

After retiring, he spent four years talking football on television, then broke into coaching with the Bears in 1997. He was linebackers coach for the Philadelphia Eagles under Jim Johnson from 1999-2003, then returned to Chicago as defensive coordinator when Lovie Smith took over.

Rivera credits Ryan, Johnson and Smith for helping form his approach to defense. The result has helped his Bears consistently rank among the league leaders in fewest yards and points allowed, and near the top in turnovers.

As for his offensive approach, it's pretty simple: "I do think you have to run the ball to be successful in this league."


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