Ex-Cal Star Ron Rivera Returning to Aid Golden Bears Football

Rivera's role at Cal apparently will be similar to the general manager role Andrew Luck will have at Stanford

Ron Rivera, while head coach of the Washington Commanders in 2023 / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Former Cal linebacker and two-time NFL coach of the year Ron Rivera is returning to Cal in a role with the Golden Bears football program, according to a report by ESPN.

Rivera's role sounds similar to what some colleges are calling a general manager role, although he apparently will not have that title. According to the ESPN report, Rivera would primarly have administrative tasks, including adding a big-picture perspective with an eye on the budget, the coaching staff and the experience of the student-athletes.

Jonatahn Jones of NFL on CBS described Rivera's role at Cal as being similar to the one Andrew Luck will fill at Stanford. Makes sense -- former star player at the school with NFL experience:

Rivera’s position at Cal is expected to be similar to the one Andrew Luck took at rival Stanford, helping the program, coaches, players, fundraisers and athletics department navigate the new waters in college athletics.

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) February 5, 2025

Rivera tweeted a message regarding the decision by Bill Belichick to return to coaching at the college level, at North Carolina.

Coach Belichick has made going back to school, cool. Stay tuned I am coming home. @CalAthletics @UCBerkeley @Cal #GoBears🐻

— Ron Rivera (@RiverboatRonHC) February 5, 2025

The 63-year-old Rivera is a member of the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame after his outstanding football career with the Golden Bears. He recorded 337 tackles in his Cal career and was an All-American in 1983 when he 26.5 tackles for loss, a school record. He was a second-round choice in the NFL draft and played nine NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears.

He later became an NFL head coach and was named NFL coach of the year in both 2013 and 2015 seasons with the Carolina Panthers, taking the Panthers to the Super Bowl in the 2015 season. He was later the head coach of the Washington Commanders.

Rivera recently expressed an interest in returning to the NFL as a head coach and he was interviewed for the Chicago Bears' opening.

Recently Rivera has been a supporter of Cal's NIL Collective, along with his wife, Stephanie Rivera.

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