Stephanie Rivera
Stephanie Rivera
She is often referred to as "the coach behind the coach" by media.[12]
Education
Rivera graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in psychology.[10]
Career
Stephanie was an above average point guard, but tore her ACL during her freshmen year at UC Berkeley. It didn’t help her playing career but she has remarked that it fast-tracked her coaching career. She became an assistant coach with the Washington Mystics in 2000.[12]
She briefly coached at her daughter’s high school in San Diego.
Relationship with Ron Rivera
The couple became acquainted at UC Berkeley in August of 1983 during a chance meeting at Yogurt Park.
Stephanie was a point guard for the women’s basketball team, Ron Rivera was a star linebacker) had seen each other around the university’s gym before, but had never been formally introduced.[12]
Stephanie recalls:[10]
“When we met, I was like, ‘So, do you start?
What position do you play?", “I had no idea he was a preseason All-American.”
She invited him to organize a group of guys to play pickup basketball against her and her friends, and the following Monday, they were on the court together.[12]
She stated: [10]
“We played pickup three days in a row, and then the third day, he finally asked me on a date,”
By that December, they were engaged. They got married in front of 425 guests at The Galleria in San Francisco. Less than six months later, in May of 1984, Ron Rivera was drafted by the Bears. He went off to become the first person of Puerto Rican, Mexican and Filipino descent to play in the NFL, she stayed in the Golden State for her junior year.[10]
The couple have two children, a son, Christopher, and a daughter, Courtney.[12]
Charitable work
Since moving to North Carolina in 2011, she and her husband Ron Rivera have been an active member of the community.
One of their favorite things to do is give back, and the family assists with fundraising efforts year-round to charities.[12]
They are very active raising money to fight pancreatic cancer, which claimed Ron Rivera’s brother Mickey in 2015.[12]
The Humane Society of Charlotte have aslo honored Stephanie for her and her husband’s fundraising efforts.
The couple organized creative fundraising efforts including a Carolina Panthers recipe book and calendar, which combined raised over $60,000 for the Humane Society. [12]
Personal Life
In January 2015, a house fire fire tore through the Rivera's modular home. Firefighters would later discover a missing plate in the fireplace that started the blaze. This resulted in over $500,000 in damages. The family was out of their house for eight months during the repairs, temporarily living in the former home of ex-Panther Jordan Gross.[12]
In January 2020, Stephanie and Ron Rivera wrote a letter together about leaving the Carolina Panthers and joining the Washington Redskins. In a thank you letter from Ron and Stephanie, the two offered their last goodbye and made a few parting promises.[19]
"To the Queen City of Charlotte and the two great states that comprise 'One Carolina,' Stephanie and I salute you and will miss your southern hospitality and grace.
We promise to continue to support the charities and social good organizations like the USO of NC, Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte, Humane Society of Charlotte and the PanCan of Charlotte wherever we next call home."[19]
They also gave thanks to former Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, GM Marty Hurney, former Panthers' President Danny Morrison, Director of Communications Charlie Dayton, former GM Dave Gettleman, Ron's coaches and staff, present and former Panthers players, David and Nicole Tepper and the fans.[19]
"You truly are the best fans in the world, win or lose, you always love our team and that is the best reward you can have as a Head Coach," Ron wrote.
"Go Panthers!
#KeepPounding."[19]