GREENSBORO, N.C. — We might not be in Charlotte, but that doesn't mean the Triad isn't crawling with die-hard Carolina Panthers fans.
On Tuesday, those fans learned the Panthers parted ways with head coach Ron Rivera, according to owner David Tepper.
“I believe this is the best decision for the long-term success of our team,” Tepper said. “I have a great deal of respect for Ron and the contributions he has made to this franchise and to this community. I wish him the best. I will immediately begin the search for the next head coach of the Carolina Panthers.”
WFMY News 2 spoke with a few fans who say, they're ready for a fresh start.
"The Redskins loss? Wow. That was a tough blow. Some games you don’t feel like as a fan you should lose, that was probably one of the games that we felt like we shouldn’t lose," said fan Byron Davis, "Can’t say that I am surprised by the Ron Rivera fire. But definitely he needed [a win Sunday] to keep his job."
"To me, it feels a little bittersweet and kind of like, we saw it coming," said fan Louis Agaliotis, "All in all he’s been a great coach for us. Winningest coach for the Panthers franchise history, took us to countless playoff games. We were the first team to go back to back in the NFC South as division champions."
"It’s about time to be blatantly honest. I mean, look, I think every Panthers fan loves Ron Rivera and loves Riverboat and everything that he’s done," said fan Seth Mapes, "Unfortunately it is what it is, but I think it was time."
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