Ron Rivera is excited to 'come home and return' as Cal Football GM

Berkeley, California – Ron Rivera spent more than three decades in the NFL and had opportunities to return to the sidelines as an assistant when a more intriguing option came his way.

Instead of guiding a first Time NFL coach, Rivera jumped the chance to return to his Alma Mater to breathe new life into the football program in California. Rivera was officially hired as the first general manager of the Cal -Football team on Thursday after the move was officially approved by the UC regents.

“This is an opportunity to come home and give it back,” said Rivera. “The university has given me so much in my life. It was a kind of launch platform that brought me in the direction I did what I played professionally and eventually became an NFL coach and completely involved in the NFL for 36 years. I am looking for a different challenge, another chance. But where to get home for the university and return.”

Rivera will report directly to Chancellor Rich Lyons in the newly created role. Main football coach Justin Wilcox will continue to report to athletic director Jim Knowlton, who also reports to Lyons.

Rivera said he will be involved in “every aspect” of the football team to go to exercises, to work closely with Wilcox and his assistants and to deal with the players, many of whom want to follow their trajectory to the NFL.

The role of Rivera will also focus on generating income, fundraising and involved in alumni and donors to generate more interest and support for the program.

“Those people have been with us for so many years,” said Rivera. “I know they have been tough, lean years. But you know what? It is time to change that. We have the chance to change that. But we have to do it together. Only because I am here, means nothing. The thing that means we have to do work, and we have to do it together.”

Rivera is the latest high -profile person who plays a general manager role in the University Football. Cal's Rival, Stanford, recently hired former star Quarterback Andrew Luck as general director of the program. Former NFL director Michael Lombardi has that role in North Carolina under Bill Belichick and former senior Bowl director Jim Nagy was recently hired for that role in Oklahoma.

Lyons said that he had spoken with Knowlton for months about the need for a general director and reached to Rivera last December. The step to hire Rivera is part of an increased dedication to football under Lyon at a school that has not always been fully invested in support.

That has changed since Lyons took over last summer and he hopes that Rivera can help the program become more successful, which leads to more involvement in alumni and donors.

“Alumni withdrawal is so important for how we stimulate our mission. It's just,” said Lyons. “They send us students, they hire our students, they teach our lessons, they give guest lectures. Oh, yes and we have just finished a capital campaign of $ 7.3 billion.

Wilcox is responsible for the Golden Bears in his ninth season and has a 42-50 career record. Cal went 6-7 in the first year last season in the ACC and lost to UNLV in the La Bowl.

The Bears have not been completed with a winning record since 2019, have not been completed in the AP survey since 2006 and have not played in a top match since the Rose Bowl of 1959.

“This is the number 1 public institution in the world,” said Rivera. “We radiate academically out of excellence. Why can't we do it athletically? Do it in the right way. That is important.”

Rivera was an all-American Linebacker in Cal in 1983 before he went to the NFL as a second round of concept choice of the Chicago Bears in 1984. Rivera was in a super bowl-winning team and had a gaming career of nine years.

Rivera started his coaching career in 1997 and was head coach for Carolina for Nine Seasons and Washington for four years. Rivera had a record of 102-103-2 in the regular season and won AP NFL Coach of the Year Awards in 2013 and 2015 with the Panthers.

Rivera made the play-offs five times, with his best season in 2015 when Carolina went 15-1 in the regular season and the Super Bowl lost to Denver.