The Carolina Panthers and Ron Rivera have agreed upon a three-year contract extension.

Rivera's deal now lasts through the 2017 season.

The Panthers won 11 of their final 12 regular season games to finish with a 12-4 record and a first round bye.

"The improvement of our team has been reflected in the progress of the record over the last three seasons under Ron and we look forward to building upon that foundation," Panthers owner Jerry Richardson said in a prepared statement.

The Panthers came off a 2-14 season when Rivera replaced John Fox.