A former NFL Coach of the Year is following Bill Belichick’s lead and heading back to college.
Former Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera is taking a job at Cal, his alma mater, Rivera confirmed Wednesday. In a post on social media, Rivera wrote that Belichick “has made going back to school, cool” and that he would be “coming home” to Cal in an unspecified role.
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
Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported that Rivera will accept a “General Manager-like role” with Cal, where he will oversee the program alongside head coach Justin Wilcox.
Breaking at @CBSSports: Two-time NFL Coach of the Year and Cal alum Ron Rivera is expected to take a General Manager-like role with Cal Football. An All-American for the Golden Bears, Rivera returns to Berkeley to work with head coach Justin Wilcox for a new era of Cal Football pic.twitter.com/hepwYjQzCI
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) February 5, 2025
Rivera sat out last season after being fired by the Commanders. He was certainly still interested in a return to the sport, as he took a handful of head coach interviews during the most recent NFL cycle. He ultimately failed to land any of them, however, which likely drove him to return to his alma mater.
Rivera was a star linebacker for the Golden Bears from 1980 to 1983, where he was a consensus All-American in his senior season. His return to school comes as the college game looks progressively more like the NFL one in the new NIL era, and it is probably no coincidence Cal wanted someone with NFL experience like Rivera to help guide the program into this new normal.
