Ron Rivera expected to take GM job for Cal football, credits Bill Belichick

In the NIL and transfer portal era roster management has become as complex as ever and many programs are turning to prominent people to run things as a general manager. You can now include Cal in that list, with Ron Rivera set to take over a similar role.

On3’s Pete Nakos reports that Rivera will take a general manager style role with the program.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Ron Rivera himself confirmed the news with a text to reporters.

“Coach (Bill) Belichick has made going back to school cool,” Rivera wrote. “Stay tuned I am coming home.”

Rivera played linebacker at California from 1980-1983, where he led the Bears in tackles for three seasons. He then went to the NFL as a second-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears.

He spent 1984-1992 with the Bears before ultimately transitioning to coaching. He’s been a long-time NFL coach ever since.

In his return to the college game, Ron Rivera will reportedly help “the program, coaches, players, fundraisers and athletics department navigate the new waters in college athletics.”

Rivera had interviewed with the Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Jets for head coaching jobs within the past month. And, while Rivera’s move is a big-time one for the Bears, it’s not the only similar move in college recently.

Andrew Luck takes Stanford GM job

As noted, Ron Rivera isn’t the only GM-related move in the ACC this offseason. Andrew Luck also took the general manager job with the Stanford Cardinal back in November.

“Yeah, I can’t wait to work with Coach (Troy) Taylor and the staff and the guys on the team, he’s got the team pointed in the right direction, and we’ve been close,” Luck said on ESPN’s College GameDay. “We’ve been close for a couple years. I had the chance to be on the hiring committee for him. And as everybody knows, in this game, it takes a team to go out and win. It is hard to win football games, and I think we’re putting the right team together.”

Luck won’t just sit back and delegate. He’s going to be heavily involved in improving the program.

“I imagine this being very hands on,” Luck said. “And, yeah, we do have a vision. We absolutely have a vision. And, you know, I think we are under no illusion about the landscape of college sports is well and out there.”

On3’s Nick Kosko also contributed to this report.