Former Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera is officially returning to football after a year off from being a head coach. Though he missed the hiring cycle for teams needing a new leader, Rivera is drastically changing his role in the sport.
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It was announced that Rivera has been hired as the new general manager for the Cal Football program. This will be the first time that Rivera will serve as an executive for a team.
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Rivera most recently served as head coach for the Commanders between the 2020 to 2023 seasons. Following the concussion of the 2023 season, he was relieved of his duties.
Rivera posted a 26-40-1 record with the Commanders and led the team to a playoff berth in 2020. Washington won the division with a 7-9 record and were eliminated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
Previous to landing a job with the Commanders, Rivera famously coached the Panthers from 2011 to 2019. During his tenure with the team, he posted a 76-63-1 record and led the team to the playoffs four times.
The Panthers made it all the way to the Super Bowl in the 2016 season but lost to the Denver Broncos.
During the 2020 season, it was also announced that Rivera had cancer. Despite being hit with the diagnosis, he was able to beat it and only missed three practices while receiving treatment for his cancer.
Before being a coach, Rivera played linebacker for the Chicago Bears from the 1984 to 1992 seasons. As a member of “The Monsters of the Midway,” the vicious Bears defense in 1985 became synonymous with being tough and propelled the team to win Super Bowl XX.
Rivera has been involved with football for over 40 years and has had plenty of experience as a player and coach. Though it’s not often that former players become coaches and then executives, this is a fantastic promotion for one of the greatest football minds in NFL history.
Rivera also has the honor of returning to his alma mater where he played between the 1980 and 1983 seasons. He will now be responsible for scouting and bringing in players to help turn the program around.
Cal has not posted a winning record since 2019, when they went 8-5. The Golden Bears moved to the ACC Conference, after previously playing in the now-disolved Pac-12.
Rivera can now help the team and program reach new heights.
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