Report: Cal GM Ron Rivera Says 'I'm Driving the Car'

Sports writer Michael Silver posts an interesting twitter message about Rivera's authority

Ron Rivera / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Cal alumnus Michael Silver, who currently writes for The Athletic but has worked for a number of major sports media outlets, posted an interesting tweet on Friday, suggesting Cal football general manager Ron Rivera has a lot of control over Golden Bears football:

In his twitter message, Silver quoted Rivera as saying the following:

"People are wondering if I have the power to make decisions. Yes, I do. I'm driving the car. Chancellor (Rich) Lyons, (Athletic Director) Jim Knowlton and (HC) Justin Wilcox are in the car with me. We're all charting a course. But I'm driving."

I just had a long talk with Cal football GM @RonRivera80. He's fired up. "People are wondering if I have the power to make decisions," he said. "Yes, I do. I'm driving the car. Chancellor (Rich) Lyons, (Athletic Director) Jim Knowlton and (HC) Justin Wilcox are in the car with…

— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) April 18, 2025

There seems to be some uncertainty among Cal supporters about how much authority Rivera has, because in the announcement of Rivera's hiring, it was stated that Rivera will report to Chancellor Rich Lyons and and head coach Justin Wilcox will continue to report to athletic director Jim Knowlton.

Two weeks ago, SFGate reported that some major donors voiced displeasure, believing Rivera was not given enough authority.

Silver's tweet also noted that Rivera has a plan for responding to the player defections through the transfer portal.

In the latter stages of Cal's spring football workouts, Wilcox talked about his working relationship with Rivera. He said he and Rivera talk a lot and that Rivera has input on nearly every aspect of the Cal football program.

A week ago, the San Francisco Chronicle printed an extensive interview with Rivera, who said of his role at Cal, "I've touched every aspect of college football so far."

He also said in that interview, "I think one of the best things I heard from [Wilcox] was, 'You know I really appreciate it, Coach, because now all I have to work on is coaching football.'” 

CBS Sports posted a report this week about the concerns surrounding the Cal football program and possible reasons why players -- particularly offensive players -- have entered the transfer portal.