Ron Rivera's been away from football since being fired by the Washington Commanders head coach. Now, he's going back to his roots.
Rivera didn't emerge from his time in Washington with much to show for it. The respected figure overcame significant adversity from a personal perspective and working for reclusive owner Dan Snyder wasn't easy. However, there weren't many fighting his corner before Josh Harris pulled the plug.
The Commanders made the right call. Rivera thought he'd built a good culture in Washington despite evidence to the contrary. Dan Quinn took things up a notch, installing almost unprecedented belief and purpose in the locker room en route to a magnificent first campaign at the helm.
All Rivera could do was watch from his role as an analyst. He had nothing but good things to say about the new regime. If anything, it made him more eager to get back involved.
Some head coaching interest arrived this offseason. Rivera interviewed with the Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, and New York Jets. It never amounted to anything more than preliminary discussions before the franchises went in different directions. With coordinator roles not forthcoming, things looked bleak for NFL employment despite speculation linking him to a position with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Then, out of nowhere, Rivera chose a new path.
Ron Rivera is back in football one year after Commanders firing
Jonathan Jones from CBS Sports reported that Rivera accepted a general manager-type role with the California Golden Bears, where he starred as an All-American linebacker before a prolific playing career in the pros. The insider revealed that his role will be to oversee the football operation at a precarious time with NIL changing the college landscape.
"[Ron] Rivera’s position at Cal is expected to be similar to the one Andrew Luck took at rival Stanford, helping the program, coaches, players, fundraisers and athletics department navigate the new waters in college athletics. Rivera interviewed for the Jets, Bears and Raiders head coaching jobs in the past month. The former Panthers and Commanders head coach was also in the running to join Liam Coen’s staff as a senior assistant head coach with the Jaguars."Jonathan Jones
This homecoming is exactly what Rivera needs. It might signal the end of his NFL aspirations — although anything could happen — but he's given the game everything. It might not have been good enough, especially in Washington, but the coach was never found wanting for effort.
Rivera becomes the latest ex-NFL coach to make the transition to college. The extra level of professionalism means this trend will continue long into the future. Bill Belichick's landmark switch to North Carolina lent further weight to the turning tide.
The Commanders are better off without Rivera. They achieved more than anyone thought possible in 2024. The future is only going to get better from here. Unfortunately for Rivera, that probably means any semblance of the personnel he left behind with evaporate sooner rather than later.
Some were surprised by Rivera's landing spot, but he loves the program and loves football. At the end of the day, no money or job title in the NFL carries the same weight at this stage of his journey.
After everything Rivera went through during his cancer battle, one couldn't begrudge him putting his happiness first.