Greg Olsen Talks 1-on-1 About 'Refreshing Experience' With Commanders HC Ron Rivera
One thing synonymous with Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera is his likability. He's not just a friendly face amongst those in the public eye, but players seem to gravitate to his approach in terms of getting the best out of someone.
Throughout his career, Rivera has been known as a "player's coach." Those who join the roster seem eager to learn underneath him and have an immense respect for him as a coach and more specifically, a person.
Among the the cast of the players who have found success under Rivera includes Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen. Spending the bulk of his career with Rivera calling the shots, Olsen has fond memories of the Commanders' coach and can see why it's easy that players gravitate to his style of coaching.
"Those nine years were the best of my career," Olsen tells CommandersCountry.com in an interview sponsored by Thorne. "We had great team success. A lot of us had great individual success and he was a big reason for it."
Rivera was hired in 2011 by the Carolina Panthers after serving as the then-San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator. Olsen, who began his career with the Chicago Bears, was traded to Carolina before the start of the 2011 season in exchange for a third-round pick.
From there, Olsen's career took new heights. He became a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, helping across the middle of the field as a security blanket for Cam Newton. He also played an existential role for the Panthers' passing attack in 2015, recording 77 catches for a career-best 1,104 yards and seven touchdown while averaging 14.3 yards per reception.
The Panthers would go on to win the NFC and play in Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos. Newton was named MVP while Olsen earned his first All-Pro honors.
Olsen believes Rivera's biggest strength is his trust factor. Most coaches want full control of a roster and its personnel decision. That isn't Rivera's style.
"Ron knew when to get involved and knew when he needed to take charge, set the tone and send a message to take control of a situation " Olsen said. "He was not afraid to do that. He also understood when it was time to give some freedoms and give guys who had earned it — both players and coaches —the flexibility to do their job."
The 2022 season is a prove-it year for Rivera and company. Despite making the postseason in 2020, in large part, the Commanders pushed forward due to lackluster play in the conference, going 7-9 and winning the NFC East. Last season, Washington tallied a 7-10 record behind quarterback Taylor Heinicke and a makeshift defense that was missing its best player in defensive end Chase Young for the second half of the season.
The roster should be at full strength and upgraded at quarterback with veteran Carson Wentz. Washington also added in more weapons for the former Eagles' starr, drafting Penn State receiver Jahan Dotson 16th overall and Nevada tight end Cole Turner.
Olsen isn't sure there are many coaches built like Rivera. Most leaders are engulfed in their vision or plan, making every critical decision on their own rather than receiving input from his staff.
Rivera has embraced the mentality of trusting others to help build a roster. It led him to a 76-63 record during his nine seasons with the Panthers and four postseason appearances. It also helped set the tone in Year 1 during his tenure in D.C.
"It was just a refreshing experience to be around someone who believed in you and would say 'Hey, I believe in you, I trust you, go be you and do what feels natural. You've earned the right to go out there and play free, in what's best for your success'" Olsen said. "I think it's why you've seen so many guys, especially in Carolina, have great success under him.
"You had a lot of purpose and a lot of ownership in the end result and I think guys really appreciated and respected him for that."
This interview with Greg Olsen was sponsored by Thorne HealthTech, Inc. For more information on Thorne and its products, please visit Thorne.com.
