Ron Rivera Finalizes Contract As Golden Bears GM

Ron Rivera finalized a three-year contract with Cal earlier this month despite having served as his alma mater’s general manager since March 2025.

As first reported by fellow Berkeley alumnus and San Francisco Chronicle sports reporter Ron Kroichick, Rivera — who signed a deal on June 16 — makes $800,000 annually and is officially under contract through the 2028 season; the three-year deal is retroactive to 2025.

Rivera’s base salary is $250,000, and he earns another $550,000 through a “talent fee.” Kroichick, who obtained a copy of the contract through the Chronicle’s public records request, added that Rivera can make an additional $800k per season based on how many games the Golden Bears win.

Up until the mid-June deal, Rivera had been working through what Kroichick said was a “letter agreement” that stretched back to February 2025.

Most of Rivera’s contract contains information that he or Cal have already discussed, such as the fact that he reports to Chancellor Rich Lyons, supports head coach Tosh Lupoi and focuses on all things related to attracting money, attention and opportunities.

“That’s one of the questions people ask me: ‘What does success look like to you?’ Well, to me, it’s having a sustainable winning culture,” Rivera told me for The Daily Californian in October.

Rivera’s contract, though, also sheds light on a potential early exit.

The deal states that Rivera must pay the Golden Bears $400,000 if he leaves Cal before the end of his second year — in other words, by the end of the 2026 season. 

While Rivera leaving in that fashion would be surprising, remember that he interviewed for the Cardinals’ head coaching vacancy in January before Arizona ultimately hired Mike LaFleur.

Nonetheless, Rivera has done just fine throughout his first 15 months on the job. Most importantly, he has helped keep star quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele in Berkeley, relieved former longtime head coach Justin Wilcox of his duties and ushered in the Lupoi era.

So far, so good for the Old Blue (‘83). And surely the Golden Bears are glad to have his contract handled.