Bear Insider Video: Cal GM Ron Rivera Talks Starting QB, Season Goals and More

With most of fall camp in the books, Cal general manager Ron Rivera took some time to check in with the bay area media to field questions on a wide range of topics as the team prepares for it’s season opener in Corvallis against Oregon State on August 30.

The new GM was asked if he was somewhat surprised that true freshman QB Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele‍ was able to pull off getting the starting nod so early into his young career, beating out veteran Ohio State transfer QB Devin Brown‍.

“No, because, based on what he did, the way he did things, how he earned it, no,” Rivera said. “It's one of those things that, we talked about it and watched practice and our discussions about it back and forth, you could see it. I mean, Devin did a great job. Did some really good things, but at the end of the day, you really have to say Jared really stood out. He really did. There's a different type of energy and vibe that you felt when he was out there with the guys. Where you watch Devin, you see a guy that's a game manager, does a very nice job, has the ability to make plays, but Devin, there was something that was different. And you could feel it. You could see it.”

Rivera was asked if the frosh has the ability to process what he’s seeing on the field at a speed high enough to avoid typical freshman mistakes.

“I do,” Rivera said. “I think so. He had a lot to learn, but I believe coming in in January like he did, and being all the way through spring ball and right into into June and July, with his teammates, bonding, being around those guys, working together, I think that really helped him. And I also think working with a guy like Devin, having him around, listening to him, following his example, I think it helped his development grow.”

Though Rivera wasn’t a driving force behind the decision, he gave his thoughts and input and it was factored into the equation.

“Part of the discussion,” Rivera said. “Coach asked a lot of questions, talked to a lot of us. We gave him our opinions, gave him our feedback. One thing we talked about was the timing of the decision. And I agreed with him. I told him, you know, doing it the week before the week (of the opener) of was very important. Now we get to answer all those questions that way next week getting ready for Oregon State, focusing only on Oregon State. I thought that was a really good idea. That was a positive move by coach, so that was the idea. As far as announcing it now is to have that time to sort of deal with that stuff and also give the team an opportunity to digest it as well. This isn't just about one or two players. This is about the team. And that was one thing that Justin and I felt very strongly about. I agreed with every decision that was made in this matter.”

Rivera also noted some of the edges that the frosh QB brought to the field that helped influence the staff’s decision to pull the trigger on him starting right out of the gate.

“I think there's some unique things that he does,” Rivera noted. “I think he has the ability to throw any pass that needs to be made. The reason I say that is because of his arm strength, his athleticism. He has the ability to throw off platform very well. Throws on the move very well. I think a lot of it has to do with the style of football he’s played. You watched him from his high school days, you see those things. You see him moving the pocket. You see him outside of the pocket. You see him climbing the pocket to make the throw downfield. Those are the things that that you know guys like him coming into where he is helps you make those decisions that this is a guy you can give the opportunity to because he earned it.

“Doesn't look like much shakes him up right now, it really doesn't. Obviously you won't know until the games start for real and Oregon State is going to be a tremendous test, not just for him, but for the whole team. I think that you see him stay very steady, very calm, especially in some of the practices.

“There's been some interesting situations where, if he goes outside of himself, the players would feel that, but he doesn't. He stays within the framework of what coaches are trying to get across. I think he and Coach Harsin have really developed a rapport. I think he and Coach Rolovich have worked well together and I think him working with the other guys has been good as well, and that's what you really want. You want a guy that's going to have questions, who’s going to come in and make comments and decisions and be part of those discussions. You're already seeing that from this young man.”

Rivera made it clear that though Brown will start the season as a backup, he needs to be ready to go at all time as nothing is written in stone.

“Well, he's disappointed,” Rivera said. “Obviously, you would expect that, especially from a highly competitive guy, but you also know that he understands that hey, there may be a chance that he's going to be called upon. He's got to be ready. So we really appreciate that. So we'll see how it all unfolds as we continue to go through this. But you know, everybody in this team is going to get an opportunity to show what he can do.”

Did he come in with his undergraduate degree? Or is he finishing that at Cal? I believe
he's finishing that. Okay, so it's, you know, he's a sharp young man, very bright, and opportunities will come.

The new GM was also more than straightforward about what he’d consider a successful season for Cal this year.

“Well, there are three metrics we're going to be measured on,” Rivera noted. “The first metric is going to be butts in the seats. Second metric is going to be eyeballs on the TV. Those are real important. And then obviously winning and losing.

“I think anything that puts us in a solid bowl game, eight, nine wins, I think that's what you're looking for. That shows growth, growth from last year. Last year we didn't win the close games. We’ve got to win the close games. If we want to win eight or nine, we’ve got to win those close games for sure. Last year, that's how close it was. You lose three by 1.1 by six at the end of the game. That's disappointing, but we all understand that, and we know that the clock is ticking. There's a lot of pressure to be successful, especially in today's climate, and so for us, it is putting ourselves in a position where we can win those games.

Rivera noted that the ultimate proof of the program’s success is their ability to generate the type of momentum that not only leads to an improvement in the win column but also in their ability to make waves in attendance and visibility in the bay area.

“By the time the season is over, it's (Memorial Stadium) filled. That's that's the goal,” Rivera said. “The goal is to win, generate some momentum, generate some enthusiasm, capture the East Bay. And I'm gonna say this too, us and Stanford have to capture the bay. We really do. This is one of the largest TV markets in the NFL. Everybody understands that. That's why Cal and Stanford go together, because we capture this together. We own this together. We become very desirable. We support the ACC, and everybody realizes and recognizes the ACC has the Bay Area. That's what we have to create. So if people ask me, hawt can we do? Show up? Well, you can bring your friendsm watch us on television. I mean, that's the bottom line. And then obviously, if you feel generous enough, make an investment, help us. I mean, that's the truth. We have the ability, but we also need the support.”

Rivera was clear that they’ve failed in that mission in recent seasons in assessing the impact they’ve been able to have in building fan interest.

“Very bluntly, not good enough,” Rivera said. “There was a time where you could easily see 55, 60,000, even in the lean years. My first two years were very lean. Joe Kapp shows up. We win a couple of big games. Also, we do this five laterals and a trombone thing and next thing you know, we're packed. That's what our ability is. If we didn't learn anything from Game Day last year, we wasted an opportunity. That's what the chancellor is trying to build on. That's what the chancellor really thinks we need to do and reaching out to our alumni, our donors, our fans, and tell them, ‘Hey, we understand your frustration. That's why we're making a commitment.’ That's why he's making a commitment to athletics. I think everybody has to understand that.

“You know, Stanford and Cal, we have 30 intercollegiate sports, 27 Olympic sports. So if you look at that and you say, ‘Wow, that's a lot.’ Well, it is a lot. We understand the responsibility. Because if you look at it, we could have been our own country in the top 10 of medals being won from the student athletes that we had at Cal, at Stanford. So that's the thing we have to look at that. That's our responsibility. So the football team is to help support and be part of funding our our own athletic departments. And that gives us the reason why we have to be relevant and beyondrelevant. 

With almost a half a year under his belt, the new GM is happy with his return to his alma mater, though it’s not been without its challenges.

“I love it. I enjoy the heck out of it,” the Cal GM said. “I get frustrated with it. You know, some of the hardest things has been trying to deal with some of the young men that feel that they should move on, and you try to get them understand that there's a legacy here that you you've created, you've had an opportunity to create. Be great to have you see you finish and complete that legacy here. But I get it, when the money's being waived at guys. But I do think it's not necessarily about money now, as much as it's about money that you can build it up eventually if you do things the right way. And one thing everybody understates, you're not gonna play football forever so you have to have something to fall back on.

“It'll always be a struggle, and that's just the way it is. I know that we come out, we start fast, and we have a couple of guys playing really well. You don't think I'm concerned about man, we gotta, we gotta start working on retention. Now, that's the truth. Why? Because somebody out there is breaking the rules, calling kids, whoever's representing them and saying, ‘Hey, got a chance to watch your guy. I mean, it's gonna happen, and it's just for whatever reason people don't want to do the right thing. I'm a little bitter about it, because I believe in the rules. I mean, we have a 20.5M cap for a reason. We want to see it stay level. We want to see everybody compete on the same level. It's a little altruistic. That's okay. That's how I feel.

“Later, I'd love to see the NCAA gain some teeth from somewhere, whether it's some sort of congressional edict or presidential edict that says, ‘Hey, look, we're gonna grant anti trust, you guys form a trade association to represent the student body and then come to an agreement and go from there. I mean, in the NFL when we went to strike in 1987 we were a union. We decertified as a union, became a trade association, which allowed that body to negotiate on our behalf. And what happened was, eventually we came to the salary cap, and it was worked out with the Players Association and the ownership and the commissioner's office, then there's harmony. Why? Because they understand it and they get it. And because of that, you've seen the salaries just continue to grow exponentially, and that's what's happening right now. We could do the same thing, but we could control it with rules. Right now, there's not a lot of rules. You open up two portals. Why do you have two portals? It really should only be one free agency period. And that's my opinion. Again, this I'm speaking strictly, in my opinion. It's nobody else's opinion. This is
mine.”

Since any Cal fan can remember, the program has struggled to find a synergy with the athletic department’s marketing team but with a recent change at the top, Rivera confirmed that the program is now charting the course for driving how the team will be marketed to fans going forward.

“Absolutely, that's exactly what we're trying to do, is what's in the best interest of our football program,” Rivera said. “We've talked about doing different ideas. We've got some plans that we're working on currently. We're going to try and increase our exposure, our exposure to to our fan base, our alums, our donors, our student body. We're going to reach out to other entities to try and see if we’ve got people that are interested. We're going to try and engage with people outside of the university as well.

“I mean, these are all things that, when we found out about it, I gathered a group of us, we came together, we had a meeting, and then we talked about what potentially what we were going to need to do, and then when we found out who we're going to be working with, and we started working with them as well and sharing those ideas. We are trying to do those things now. I know we’ve (only) got two weeks. The nice thing is, my pure focus isn't on the football field. 100% what I've done is I've come in, I've taken all this stuff that I've just talked about and I've taken it, so that's what my focus is. I'm here to support football. I'm here to put sources of revenue, resources in coaches back pockets, so that if there's something he needs, we can try and put it together and get it going for everybody. That's what I'm doing. So for him (Coach Wilcox), he could have his sole focus on what goes on on the football field, what's going on in the classrooms.

As of yet, are there any plans for the season opener against Texas Southern as far as ticket giveaways or free student tickets?

“We're working on everything we can right now,” Rivera said. “Nothing I can get really specific with other than we are trying to find some partnerships to work with, some people to create some opportunities for some people who can't get to the games.”