WATCH: A name change, a scandal & now cancer: Does Ron Rivera have regrets? We asked him.

WASHINGTON (ABC7) — Watch the ABC7 On Your Sideline NFL Special on Tuesday, August 25 at 8 p.m. to get an exclusive look at what's in store for the Washington Football Team's 2020/2021 season

Ron Rivera has known for a couple of weeks: He has cancer.

Rivera told his team on Thursday about the diagnosis. He has squamous cell carcinoma, a skin cancer on his neck. The cancer is in a lymph node.

Last weekend, while meeting with reporters, Rivera said his cancer diagnosis is all part of the growth of this football, that it’s a learnable moment.

ABC7 sports anchor Scott Abraham had a one-on-one conversation with the head coach of the Washington Football Team.

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We wanted to know what Rivera meant by calling it a learnable moment.

“My situation, circumstances are what they are," he said. "What I want them to do is to be able to rely on themselves as well, to learn, you just don’t need one person as a focal point all the time. Guys are going to have to learn and they’re going to have to step up. They’re going to have to say hey that’s not good enough or hey that’s good just keep doing it.”

Rivera plans to continue coaching, but said there is a Plan B in place. Washington defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio would take over as the interim head coach if Rivera would have to miss any time with his upcoming cancer treatment.

“I’m concerned,” Rivera said. “It’s frightening thing when they mention quote, unquote the C word. But what’s comforting is the number of people that have wrote me letters, sent me text messages. It’s comforting to know others have gone through this.”

Since arriving in Washington, Rivera has gone through a lot on and off the football field. He inherited a team that is going through a name change. There was recently a Washington Post report in which 15 female former employees and two sportswriters alleged sexual harassment. But the head coach has been steady through it all, never rattled in a moment of crisis.

“I tell everybody I have no regrets about coming here and coaching,” Rivera said. “If you grow from these things, you’re going to be stronger. Our owner Daniel Snyder is telling everybody we are not looking at barriers, we are going forward and we’re going to bring in the right people to help us at the right time.”

As for the football side of things, the team has been working hard the last several weeks in training camp. Over the last couple of years, the wins have been few and far between. Remember, Rivera takes over a team that was just 3-13 last season.

All eyes are on the quarterback competition. Dwayne Haskins, Kyle Allen and Alex Smith all competing for that starting job. All three have shown some good things and some bad things in camp. Rivera not ready to name a starter for Week 1 against the Eagles.

“It’s going to be the guy that performs the best, the most consistent,” Rivera said. “There is no timetable in my mind, I’ll know it, I’ll know when it feels right. They are growing and showing us that they are growing. That’s the thing that I like, we have a chance.”

Watch Scott's full interview with Rivera above.