Cal Football GM Ron Rivera Honored With Glenn Seaborg Award

A consensus All-America linebacker 43 years ago and involved with the university in some capacity ever since, Cal football general manager Ron Rivera has been given another honor: the 2025 Glenn Seaborg Award.

Rivera, who played professionally and twice was an NFL Coach of the Year, receives the award named in honor of the Nobel Laureate and former UC Berkeley chancellor.

The Glenn Seaborg Award is given annually to a former Cal football player in recognition of his accomplishments while representing the honored Cal principles and traditions of excellence in academics, athletics, leadership and attitude.

"It is truly an honor to receive the Glenn Seaborg Award," Rivera said in a statement. "My time as a student-athlete at Cal was a gift, and it's been a privilege for my wife, Stephanie, and I to be associated with the University for our entire adult life.”

Rivera played linebacker for the Bears from 1980 through ’83 and went on to a nine-year playing career in the NFL. He was a member of the powerhouse Chicago Bears team that won Super Bowl XX, a 46-10 rout of the New England Patriots.

In his post-playing career, he earned NFL Coach of the Year honors with the Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders.

Cal noted that he “embodied the values of the Seaborg Award, committing himself to his community through partnerships with the Ronald McDonald House, USO and Humane Society, among others. He was also a finalist for the Salute to Service Award, an annual honor presented to NFL players, coaches, personnel and alumni who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to honoring and supporting the military community.”

He and Stephanie, a former Golden Bear women's basketball player, met while both were Cal students and have continued to support the university, through philanthropy and by donating their time. Their $500,000 donation helped fund the current project of creating a new Cal softball facility. In 2002 they established the Ron Rivera Linebacker Scholarship for the football program

It’s been a busy time for Rivera, who returned to the athletic department as football GM last spring. On Sunday, following Cal’s 31-10 loss at Stanford in the Big Game, Rivera made the call to fire Justin Wilcox and begin searching for a new coach.

He talks in the video above about his aspirations for the football program as he begins pursuit of the Bears' next head coach.

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