Carolina Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman has expressed his delight at having agreed a new contract extension with head coach Ron Rivera.
Rivera signed a three-year extension to his current deal yesterday, taking him through to 2017 after he guided the Panthers into the playoffs this season.
Their 12-4 regular-season record continued Rivera's steady improvement since taking over in 2010, adopting a team that had gone 2-14 that year and guiding them to 6-10 and 7-9 records in his first two seasons respectively.
"The team has shown improvement under Ron each year and he is deserving of the recognition that he has received for the 2013 season," Gettleman told reporters.
"We are pleased and excited with the continuity this extension brings."
The Panthers were eliminated by the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of this year's playoffs.
