Who is the special woman whom Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera calls his life partner? Learn more about his better half, Stephane Tamayo, below.
Where Did Riverboat Ron and His Wife Stephanie Meet?
The Riveras can thank the University of California for their college education and for finding their life partners. The young couple were both athletes at Cal.
Rivera was a Golden Bear linebacker, and Tamayo was a starting point guard for the women’s basketball team. The couple saw each other around Cal’s gym but didn’t have a chance to talk until a chance meeting at the local Yogurt Park.
Stephanie Rivera – Panthers' Coach Ron Rivera's Wife https://t.co/yL3Pr5Hrne #football via @fabwags #wags pic.twitter.com/eUAf9A2QfD
— FabWags.com (@FabWags) April 23, 2016
Stephanie recalls striking up a conversation with Rivera, saying:
“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.”
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Maybe she told him he didn’t look like much of an athlete to his face because she had to work hard for that first date.
She suggested he get his friends and she get hers, and they would play pickup basketball. The teams played for three days in a row. On that third day, Rivera asked Tamayo out.
We know Rivera to be a decisive man as a head coach, and apparently, he was the same in his relationships. The two would become engaged four months after their yogurt date and got married the next year in 1984.
Stephanie Tamayo’s Basketball Career
Tamayo’s basketball career came to an end in her junior year after she tore her ACL in the same knee she had already injured her freshman year.
The former point guard didn’t let her knee injury end her involvement in the sport she loves. Tamayo decided to pursue coaching and worked as an assistant coach and head coach for several professional baseball leagues.
Tamayo’s most prominent coaching role was as an assistant coach in the WNBA in 2000 for the Washington Mystics. The 2000 season was the first time that the Mystics made the playoffs ever.
Welcome Stephanie Rivera @CoachRiv2 , wife of @Panthers Ron Rivera, on tomorrow's She's A Gamer radio show. This former athlete, WNBA coach and current motivator of lady Panther fans about "Football 101" can't be missed. Tune in live on #MoneyRadio1200 at 10 am PT. #galswithgame pic.twitter.com/IGDmMgGLTO
— Cristina Walters (@shes_a_gamer) February 5, 2019
After a rousing year in the WNBA, Tamayo decided to switch her coaching career to the AAU level and high school. She was even able to coach her daughter’s basketball team.
Stephanie and Ron Rivera’s Family
The couple shares two children, Christopher and Courtney. They had their son in 1986 and their daughter in 1993. The Riveras’ firstborn has been in the news most recently in 2022, when he married his husband, Andrew Ibarra, in a beautiful ceremony in Castelsagrat, France.
Rivera’s son has had an exciting career in the arts. He has worked many roles behind the scenes, including stage manager and production coordinator at various Disney entities, for nearly a decade.
Going into this season with some new hardware! I’m officially a 2x Emmy winning producer!!
This team has got a lot more content coming but until then don’t forget to check out our award winning content from this past year! 🏆🏆🏆🏆#TakeCommand #HTTC https://t.co/cqKcveHrz7 pic.twitter.com/7AvIhhCCQN
— Courtney Rivera (@NFL2Ucla) July 26, 2023
Both of the Rivera children work for the Commanders. The eldest is the senior manager of special projects. Their daughter is the senior producer of social media, according to her LinkedIn. She also worked on the social media team for the Carolina Panthers.
The Riveras’ daughter has continued her parents’ athletic streak. She was a pitcher for the UCLA Bruins. Just like her parents, she also had a coaching career. The youngest Rivera was the assistant softball coach at a private school, Providence Day School, in North Carolina.
The Rivera parents have much to be proud of in terms of their own careers and the excellent parenting job they did with their children, who have gone on to do great things.