One of the things that attracted Ron Rivera to the head coaching job in Washington last December was the opportunity to be the main voice of the organization. During his introductory press conference in early January, team owner Dan Snyder emphasized the idea of running his franchise with a "coach-centric" approach, giving the 58-year-old free reign of the team.
Rivera still remains the main voice of the franchise, but the head coach was given a running mate to help steer the organization in the right direction when Jason Wright was hired as team president earlier this month. Wright, 38, fills the vacancy that was last held by Bruce Allen, who was fired by Snyder last December after 10 years.
On Thursday, Rivera was asked about what Wright can bring to the table in Washington, and the head coach raved about the recently hired team president.
"I think Jason can be a tremendous asset for a couple of reasons," Rivera said.
Washington made history by hiring Wright, making him the first Black team president ever in the NFL. But Wright's race is hardly the reason why he was hired to such a prominent role within the organization.
Wright played seven seasons in the NFL as a running back, suiting up for the Falcons, Browns and Cardinals. Rivera believes Wright's experience as a former player will help him directly relate -- and help -- Washington's players throughout the season.
"He played the game, so he knows what it takes to be a player on the field and he understands how not to be distracted," Rivera said. "But, he also understands when you can ask a player to be involved during the season. So, that's one of the great conversations he and I both had."
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Wright's football career is only a chapter of his story, however.
Once his NFL tenure came to an end, Wright earned an MBA from the University of Chicago. After that, he became a partner for the consulting firm McKinsey & Company, where he specialized in advising companies on diversity inclusion and overall workplace culture.
Rivera believes Wright's success in the business world will also help the team president connect with multiple players on Washington's roster, especially those who have interests outside of the sport.
"In the offseason, I think just his presence alone will really help a lot of these guys that are looking toward careers after football," Rivera said. "He can be a true sounding board."
Like Wright, Rivera also played in the NFL, spending eight seasons as a linebacker for the Chicago Bears. But even after his playing days, Rivera never truly left the NFL. Upon retiring, Rivera became a TV analyst covering the Bears and college football. After four years of that, he went into coaching and never turned back.
Rivera understands that not all of his players will be like him and enter the coaching ranks once it's time to hang up the cleats. That's where Wright comes in.
"I can sit there and tell a guy what it's like to go from playing to coaching, Jason can tell them about going from playing to being a business professional," Rivera said. "I think that's, truthfully, probably a little more honest for these guys because not everybody's going to get a chance to coach. But, everybody can have a chance to step into the business world if they want."
In short, Rivera is nothing short of thrilled to have Wright as part of the organization.
"I think Jason's truly going to be a tremendous asset for us," Rivera said.
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Ron Rivera says recently hired team president Jason Wright can be a 'tremendous asset' for the team originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
