After a year away from football, Ron Rivera is returning to the industry as California's general manager in 2025. Following former athletic director Jim Knowlton's retirement, Rivera will now oversee most of California's football operations.

Knowlton, who has been the California's athletic director since 2018, officially retired on Monday. Moving forward, the California football team, specifically head coach Justin Wilcox, will report directly to Rivera, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported. The school has yet to announce an official replacement for Knowlton, but Rivera seems destined to take over the university's football program.

Rivera, a California alum, is best known for his nine-year tenure as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, followed by a four-year stint with the Washington Commanders, then known as the Washington Redskins and Football Team. The Commanders fired him at the end of the 2023 season, in which they went just 4-13.

Since his firing, Rivera conducted multiple interviews but spent the 2024 season at home. He interviewed with the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets shortly before accepting his current position with the California football team.

California Chancellor Rick Lyons wants to use Knowlton's retirement to “put in place a new leadership structure,” per the school's official announcement. Deputy directors Jay Larson and Jenny Simon-O'Neill are currently the school's co-Directors of Athletics.

California football amid transition under new GM Ron Rivera

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California is amid a full transitional phase as it prepares for the 2025 season. Under the new guidance of Rivera, the Golden Bears will debut almost and entirely new team in the fall.

After quarterback Fernando Mendoza entered the transfer portal, California replaced his production with a couple of exciting newcomers. They landed a pair of transfers in former Ohio State quarterback Devin Brown and four-star freshman Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele. Mendoza's 2024 backup, C.J. Harris, is also in the mix, but the Golden Bears' offseason battle will likely come down to either Brown or Keawe-Sagapolutele.

California went 6-7 in 2024, its first season in the ACC. Despite the up-and-down campaign, everything is trending upward for the Golden Bears in 2025. They got their best news of the offseason when former first-team All-Pac 12 running back Jaydn Ott announced his decision to return for his final seaso.