Former NFL head coach Ron Rivera is returning to his college alma mater for the upcoming college football season. The former head coach of the Carolina Panthers and the Washington Commanders has taken the position of football general manager for the California Bears. Rivera was a linebacker at Cal during his college football career. He later played at the professional level with the Chicago Bears from 1984 through 1992.
The football general manager position has been growing in the sport since NIL revenues have been distributed to football players. Rivera will report to California chancellor Rich Lyons.
Rivera will concentrate on revenue generation and fundraising. His position is being funded through private donations. Rivera was dismissed by the Commanders in 2023. He did not coach in the NFL last season. He is happy to be returning to Cal.
“I am fired up to be coming home,” Rivera said. “My love and passion for Cal has never changed, and I couldn’t be more excited about the future of our football program. I look forward to working with Chancellor Lyons as we look to (athletic director) Jim Knowlton, (head coach) Justin Wilcox and all of our staff and players to compete for championships as we move forward in this new and rapidly changing era of college football.”
College football GM position is becoming high profile, and California faith in Rivera
Lyons looks at Rivera as a leader who can help raise the school’s college football status. His association as a successful former NFL head coach as well as his background as an NFL player gives him status.
“We are taking the steps necessary so that the team can excel in the changed landscape of intercollegiate athletics,” Lyons said. “The combination of Ron’s incredible football acumen and his powerful dedication to his alma mater makes him a perfect fit for this new role. It is an unprecedented opportunity to achieve the excellence I know our program is capable of.”
The football general manager role has been filled by several well-known figures who have been associated with the NFL. Stanford University, Cal’s long-time rival, hired the school’s former quarterback Andrew Luck to fill the position. North Carolina hired former Patriot head coach Bill Belichick to serve as the Tar Heels’ head coach. Belichick brought in former NFL executive Michael Lombardi to serve as that school’s football general manager.
Those in the athletic department’s general manager position have to assess the legitimacy of all financial deals. They also determine how NIL funds are distributed to college athletes.
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