New Cal football GM Ron Rivera says he’s in charge, rallying donors, and the Bears have a plan to curb transfer defections

BERKELEY — New Cal football general manager Ron Rivera met with reporters for 35 minutes via a Zoom call on Monday, addressing two issues on the minds of Golden Bears’ fans:

— Rivera said he is rallying donors to provide the money needed to prevent the exit of key players to the transfer portal, but stressed every football program in the country is dealing with this.

He said efforts were made to keep star running back Jaydn Ott from departing to Oklahoma.

“It’s not the end of the world,” he said of the defections. “We have a plan of action.”

— He also said that he has ultimate authority over all aspects of the football program, including on issues of hiring and firing, and that he reports directly to Chancellor Rich Lyons. At least a couple to heavy-hitter donors have indicated they wanted assurances Rivera has that clout.

Rivera, a former All-America linebacker at Cal who twice was a coach of the year in the NFL, agreed to meet with reporters after a wild few days last week where a dozen players — including five running backs — entered the transfer portal.

Ott was the headliner, but the Bears also lost tight end Jack Endries, their top receiver a year ago, to Texas. And No. 2 running back Jaivian Thomas, a grad from Oakland’s McClymonds High who played a key role last season when Ott was hobbled by a nagging ankle injury, likewise indicated his intention to transfer.

Rivera said Cal anticipated certain players might decide to leave.

“Yeah, there’s at least one we wish didn’t go in,” he said, an apparent reference to Ott, who rushed for 1,315 yards in 2023.

There often is negotiating between the program and a player who enters the portal, Rivera said. He said there were discussions with Ott, a grad student who was considered one of the top running backs available in the transfer portal.

“Did we give Jaydn Ott a great shot? I believe we did,” he said. “Sometimes an athlete feels I’ve accomplished all I can here, it’s potentially time to move on. If that’s what the young man decides, we just want to wish him the best.”

Asked if Cal had sufficient resources to bid against other schools, Rivera acknowledged, “You come up against some pretty strong competition. . . . There were a couple teams, their resources were a little more.”

With regards to Thomas, who still hadn’t made a public statement about his plans going forward, Rivera would only say the program attempts to have conversations with anyone they would like retain.

Putting Cal on even footing financially with elite programs is part of the new position he holds. To donors, he suggested, “This is not an expense. This is an investment at a shot of being excellent.”

Besides being able to offer athletes NIL money, universities in the four power conferences are expected to be approved to make annual profit-sharing payments totaling $20.5 million to athletes beginning in the fall.

Coming from a pro background, Rivera said the NFL has a balance with revenue sharing and a salary cap that is absent in the new college sports landscape.

“There’s not this chaos that’s going on right now,” he said.

Rivera, who said he and head coach Justin Wilcox have a collaborative relationship, was asked repeatedly if he has ultimate authority over the program.

“I do have that, other than the chancellor,” he said. “I would like to believe he’s going to trust me, which I believe he does.”

Rivera returned to his alma mater because he wants the football team to excel. Wilcox has led the Bears to back-to-back bowl appearances but Cal has not had a winning season since 2019.

“We’ve got to become relevant again,” said Rivera, adding that he wants the program to compete for ACC championships and to get into the College Football Playoff. “I know that’s Justin’s goal. That’s why I’m here.”