Cal hires former NFL head coach Ron Rivera to be GM of football program
Rivera said last month he was planning to return to Cal and the hiring was made official Thursday after it was approved by the UC Board of Regents.
Rivera will report directly to chancellor Rich Lyons in the newly created role. Head football coach Justin Wilcox will continue to report to athletic director Jim Knowlton, who also reports to Lyons.
Rivera's role will focus on revenue generation and fundraising and is being funded by private donations.
"The football program is an indispensable part of our university and our community," Lyons said in a statement. "And, so, we are taking the steps necessary so that the team can excel in the changed landscape of intercollegiate athletics. 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.'
Rivera was an All-American linebacker at Cal in 1983 before heading to the NFL as a second-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears in 1984. Rivera was on a Super Bowl-winning team his second season and had a nine-year playing career.
He is the latest high-profile person to fill a general manager role in college football. Cal's rival, Stanford, recently hired former star quarterback Andrew Luck to be the general manager of the program. Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi has that role at North Carolina under Bill Belichick and former Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy was recently hired for that role at Oklahoma.
'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.'
Rivera began his coaching career in 1997 and was head coach for Carolina for nine seasons and Washington for four years. Rivera had a 102-103-2 record in the regular season, winning AP NFL Coach of the Year awards in 2013 and 2015 with the Panthers.
Rivera made the playoffs five times, with his best season coming in 2015 when Carolina went 15-1 in the regular season and lost the Super Bowl to Denver.
Wilcox is entering his ninth season in charge of the Golden Bears and has a 42-50 career record. Cal went 6-7 last season in its first year in the ACC, losing to UNLV in the LA Bowl.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
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