Ron Rivera Officially Announced as Cal Football GM

Cal continues to march along the tune of CFB's evolution

In an official statement and after deliberations by the UC Board of Trustees former Cal LB, Super Bowl XX Winner with the Chicago Bears, former Head Coach of the Carolina Panthers and Washington Football Team, was named the General Manager for the California Golden Bears Football.

In this newly created role, Rivera will report to Chancellor Lyons while Travers Family Head Football Coach Justin Wilcox will continue to report to Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton, who also reports to Lyons. This will help strengthen Cal's football program and ensure it can compete and win at the highest level. The General Manager will also focus on revenue generation and fundraising. The position will be fully funded by private philanthropy.

"The football program is an indispensable part of our university and our community. And, so, 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."

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"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 Jim Knowlton, 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."

GM Rivera’s compensation of $800,000 will be fully covered by the donors and it will run until March 31, 2028. Making him one of the highest paid staff members associated exclusively with the football team (HC Wilcox, potentially OC Harsin and possibly the new DC who as of writing of this article is yet to be named).

His duties as delineated by the official UC Berkeley press release

In the newly-created position, which will be fully funded by private philanthropy, Rivera will work to generate new revenue and fundraising opportunities for the team while lending his leadership and expertise, both on and off the field. Rivera will report to Lyons, while head coach Justin Wilcox will continue to report to Jim Knowlton, Cal’s director of athletics, who also reports to Lyons.

This hiring brings in a new era of college football where more and more teams, including Stanford with their hiring of Andrew Luck in this position. Unlike in the NFL, the CFB GM position remains undefined by precedent and is an evolving role in the landscape.