I've been a bit out of the loop. Any news on a new, permanent AD, or are we sticking to the status quo?
Any Cal undergrad alums that would be good candidate???

One Top One CALabrese said:

---

I've been a bit out of the loop. Any news on a new, permanent AD, or are we sticking to the status quo?
Any Cal undergrad alums that would be good candidate???

---

Wrong board - AD don't do football.

In today's world, the AD position isn't as important. I think you're better off focusing on hiring a good football GM - and a good basketball GM. The AD then can just oversee all of the non-revenue / Olympic sports.

Ideally you'd be able to have those GMs report to an AD instead of a chancellor, but it's hard to get someone good so it's cheaper this way.

Dumping the interim AD's is next, that is why they were given interim status for 1 year until the search concludes. Yes, unfortunately we have to put up with for a little while longer. But things are progressing, and I think, in a good way.

GO BEARS!!

ecb said:

---

Ideally you'd be able to have those GMs report to an AD instead of a chancellor, but it's hard to get someone good so it's cheaper this way.

---

Don't we want our Ron Riveras* reporting straight to the Chancellor?


* GM for Basketball will be someone similar to RR (hopefully)

Big C said:

---

ecb said:

---

Ideally you'd be able to have those GMs report to an AD instead of a chancellor, but it's hard to get someone good so it's cheaper this way.

---

Don't we want our Ron Riveras* reporting straight to the Chancellor?


* GM for Basketball will be someone similar to RR (hopefully)

---

Shareef Abdur-Rahim, please.

Oh hell yes!!

I think in a more sustainable structure is having a competent AD with GMs. I don't think it's sustainable to rely on a chancellor that gets football like Lyons.

Hiring him would be a dream scenario. Would our Basketball AD role offer higher compensation than his current position as G League President?

I would assume this is next on the list.

Start with that front office, got a few names I could hand you …but if I speak 🤐 https://t.co/hrtY808Ai5

— Vic Enwere (@VicEnwere1) December 6, 2025

sycasey said:

---

Start with that front office, got a few names I could hand you …but if I speak 🤐 https://t.co/hrtY808Ai5

— Vic Enwere (@VicEnwere1) December 6, 2025

---

I think I'm slow on the uptake, what does he/Vic mean here?

HairOfTheBear said:

---

sycasey said:

---

Start with that front office, got a few names I could hand you …but if I speak 🤐 https://t.co/hrtY808Ai5

— Vic Enwere (@VicEnwere1) December 6, 2025

---

I think I'm slow on the uptake, what does he/Vic mean here?

---

Looks like he means that some folks in the Cal administration need to "enter the portal."

sycasey said:

---

HairOfTheBear said:

---

sycasey said:

---

Start with that front office, got a few names I could hand you …but if I speak 🤐 https://t.co/hrtY808Ai5

— Vic Enwere (@VicEnwere1) December 6, 2025

---

I think I'm slow on the uptake, what does he/Vic mean here?

---

Looks like he means that some folks in the Cal administration need to "enter the portal."

---

ok thx, I was sort of taking that way but was worried lol. Thx

Enwere has been nega-tweeting about Cal almost since he left. Not to say he's wrong about this though.

ecb said:

---

I think in a more sustainable structure is having a competent AD with GMs. I don't think it's sustainable to rely on a chancellor that gets football like Lyons.

---

I think we need a AD who is a marketing visionary, ideally a Cal alum with experience in pro sports. We need to expand our brand in the East Bay, California and nationwide. Leverage the Calgorithm and the genius and creativity of our students. Or the AD can be a competent administrator who hires that marketing visionary. An associate AD can manage the Olympic sports.

HairOfTheBear said:

---

sycasey said:

---

Start with that front office, got a few names I could hand you …but if I speak 🤐 https://t.co/hrtY808Ai5

— Vic Enwere (@VicEnwere1) December 6, 2025

---

I think I'm slow on the uptake, what does he/Vic mean here?

---

He don't like O'Neill.

Big C said:

---

ecb said:

---

Ideally you'd be able to have those GMs report to an AD instead of a chancellor, but it's hard to get someone good so it's cheaper this way.

---

Don't we want our Ron Riveras* reporting straight to the Chancellor?


* GM for Basketball will be someone similar to RR (hopefully)

---

There is a decision that has to be made about the role of the AD at Cal going forward.

If you want football and basketball to have GMs with full authority over football and basketball, then forget about landing a top AD, because no one of that caliber wants to be an AD with no say over the highest profile sports. If that's the structure you want, then you're really hiring for an assistant AD in charge of non-revenue sports.

BearSD said:

---

Big C said:

---

ecb said:

---

Ideally you'd be able to have those GMs report to an AD instead of a chancellor, but it's hard to get someone good so it's cheaper this way.

---

Don't we want our Ron Riveras* reporting straight to the Chancellor?


* GM for Basketball will be someone similar to RR (hopefully)

---

There is a decision that has to be made about the role of the AD at Cal going forward.

If you want football and basketball to have GMs with full authority over football and basketball, then forget about landing a top AD, because no one of that caliber wants to be an AD with no say over the highest profile sports. If that's the structure you want, then you're really hiring for an assistant AD in charge of non-revenue sports.

---

Yes, not a "top AD" (whose main job is hiring and firing coaches) but the ticket office and marketing need strong leadership and vision. There can be an assistant AD for Olympic sports, but the AD needs to focus on growing the brand for football and basketball (and strategizing future conference realignment and media deals, donations).

calumnus said:

---

BearSD said:

---

Big C said:

---

ecb said:

---

Ideally you'd be able to have those GMs report to an AD instead of a chancellor, but it's hard to get someone good so it's cheaper this way.

---

Don't we want our Ron Riveras* reporting straight to the Chancellor?


* GM for Basketball will be someone similar to RR (hopefully)

---

There is a decision that has to be made about the role of the AD at Cal going forward.

If you want football and basketball to have GMs with full authority over football and basketball, then forget about landing a top AD, because no one of that caliber wants to be an AD with no say over the highest profile sports. If that's the structure you want, then you're really hiring for an assistant AD in charge of non-revenue sports.

---

Yes, not a "top AD" (whose main job is hiring and firing coaches) but the ticket office and marketing need strong leadership and vision. There can be an assistant AD for Olympic sports, but the AD needs to focus on growing the brand for football and basketball (and strategizing future conference realignment and media deals, donations).

---

You just proposed hiring an AD who is basically a glorified director of marketing *and* an assistant AD in charge of non-revenue sports. If that is the structure Cal ends up with, no one who has been a successful AD anywhere else is going to want that diminished AD position.

IMO this whole concept of hiring someone who is an AD in name only is an over-reaction to Knowlton having been a bad athletic director.

BearSD said:

---

calumnus said:

---

BearSD said:

---

Big C said:

---

ecb said:

---

Ideally you'd be able to have those GMs report to an AD instead of a chancellor, but it's hard to get someone good so it's cheaper this way.

---

Don't we want our Ron Riveras* reporting straight to the Chancellor?


* GM for Basketball will be someone similar to RR (hopefully)

---

There is a decision that has to be made about the role of the AD at Cal going forward.

If you want football and basketball to have GMs with full authority over football and basketball, then forget about landing a top AD, because no one of that caliber wants to be an AD with no say over the highest profile sports. If that's the structure you want, then you're really hiring for an assistant AD in charge of non-revenue sports.

---

Yes, not a "top AD" (whose main job is hiring and firing coaches) but the ticket office and marketing need strong leadership and vision. There can be an assistant AD for Olympic sports, but the AD needs to focus on growing the brand for football and basketball (and strategizing future conference realignment and media deals, donations).

---

You just proposed hiring an AD who is basically a glorified director of marketing *and* an assistant AD in charge of non-revenue sports. If that is the structure Cal ends up with, no one who has been a successful AD anywhere else is going to want that diminished AD position.

IMO this whole concept of hiring someone who is an AD in name only is an over-reaction to Knowlton having been a bad athletic director.

---

Why do we need a "top" traditional AD AND a football and basketball GM? Top traditionsl ADs at someplace like Notre Dame, Alabama or Ohio State have huge existing fanbases and donors and only need to maintain that machine by making good hires at football and basketball coaches. Rivera does that in football and presumably the new basketball GM would have a similar role.

We need someone who is going to treat Cal as a startup sports franchise in the East Bay while also maintaining and restoring our traditions. I said maybe someone from professional sports management. The position is not just "Director of Marketing" it is CEO, CFO and Chief Strategy Officer. Do we continue the Learfield contract or bring that in house. Who de we schedule? Should ALL our teams play in the ACC or only the minimum with most of the Olympic sports playing in a West Coast conference? What are the prospects for further conference realignment and what is our plan for when that happens? Work with the GMs on trade-offs between practice facilities and NIL budgets. Lining up corporate sponsorships and funding sources. As I said, creating a vision for Cal sports and then develop the revenue streams or selling donors on the vision. A 21st century Cal AD, not just a "successful AD" from somewhere else in the country in a very different situation than Cal in 2026.

Maybe someone like Cal alum Paraag Marathe of the 49ers?