BERKELEY — On the same day Cal players auditioned before NFL scouts at Memorial Stadium’s annual pro day, an all-time great alumnus returned from the NFL: Ron Rivera officially was announced Thursday as their football team’s general manager.
“I am fired up to be coming home,” Rivera said in a statement. “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.”
Rivera, 63, revealed a month ago that he would be “going back to school,” after interviewing for head coach openings with the New York Jets, the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Chicago Bears.
Rivera, who grew up in Marina and Seaside, left Cal as a 1984 second-round pick by the Chicago Bears. After a nine-year career that included the 1985 Bears’ landmark Super Bowl championship, the ex-linebacker embarked on a coaching tenure in which he led the Carolina Panthers from 2011-19 and then Washington’s franchise from 2020-23. He is a two-time NFL Coach of the Year, and he led the Panthers to Super Bowl 50, where they were defeated by the Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium.
The general manager role is springing up in programs nationwide, and to oversee personnel and help in this evolving era of players profiting from their name, image and likeness.
Cal stated that Rivera’s role will focus on revenue generation and fundraising, with the job funded by private philanthropy. He will report to chancellor Rich Lyons; Wilcox, the Bears’ ninth-year coach, continues to report to director of athletics Jim Knowlton.
“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Ron Rivera to this role,” Wilcox said. “Ron has a passion for Cal football and loves this University. To have him help guide our program forward during these fast-changing times will be critical to our success.”
Rivera, inducted in 1994 to Cal’s Athletics Hall of Fame, has been a long-time supporter of his alma mater, along with his wife, Stephanie, who played basketball at Cal and is a UC Berkeley Foundation Trustee and California Legends Collective board member.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
Andrew Luck is four months into his GM job at rival Stanford, and he said Wednesday he’s already been in touch with Rivera. “Yeah, Ron and I have had some phone calls. I have a lot of respect for Ron,” Luck said, before wryly adding, “I have nothing good to say about Cal, nor will I ever, besides my cousin Claudia lives in Berkeley and I love her, and the food scene is OK.”
Rivera did not attend Thursday morning’s pro day workouts, but Cal showed some pretty OK players who could get drafted, led by linebacker Teddye Buchanan, safety Craig Woodson, and cornerbacks Nohl Williams and Marcus Harris. All four participated in last month’s NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.
“I just wanted to show I’m a fluid mover, show my ball skills and show I’m an overall great athlete, and I feel I could do that,” Buchanan said. “I’ve been meeting with several teams over Zoom. It’s an amazing opportunity to talk to NFL teams. I’m super grateful for that and excited for what’s ahead.”
Added Woodson: “They kind of ding me for my speed but I have speed and I showed it at the combine” with a 4.45-second 40-yard dash.