Cal makes Ron Rivera one of college football's highest-paid GMs
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Cal makes Ron Rivera one of college football's highest-paid GMs
Mark Giannotto and Steve Berkowitz, USA TODAY·USA TODAY Sports
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3 min read
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University ofCalifornia-Berkeley made former NFL coach Ron Rivera one of the highest-paid general managers in college football when it hired him last March, according to new compensation information released by school officials toUSA TODAY Sports.
Rivera is set to earn $800,000 per year and will be eligible for up to $800,000 in additional performance-based incentives asCal football's general manager, UC Berkeley assistant vice chancellor for executive communications Dan Mogulof wrote in an email on Oct. 10. The exact terms betweenCaland Rivera remain unknown and Mogoluf said the school would provide his full agreement "once the contract is signed and finalized."
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A university official previously told USA TODAY Sports in August, in response to an open records request for Rivera's contract with Cal, the document serving as Rivera's employment contract was still in draft form and exempt from disclosure.
In USA TODAY Sports' review of compensation for Division I football head coaches, we found 32 are earning $7,000,000 or more this season. Georgia’s' Kirby Smart is No. 1 at $13,282,580 million.
(Alan Poizner, Imagn Images)
Ryan Day, Ohio State, $12,575,000
(Adam Cairns, Columbus Dispatchvia USA TODAY NETWORK)
Lincoln Riley, Southern California, $11,537,560
(Ron Johnson, Imagn Images)
Dabo Swinney, Clemson, $11,382,775
(Ken Ruinard, GREENVILLE NEWS via USA TODAY Network)
Steve Sarkisian,Texas, $10,800,000
(Scott Wachter, Imagn Images)
Dan Lanning, Oregon, $10,400,00
(Ben Lonergan, The Register-Guard via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama, $10,250,000
(Melina Myers, Imagn Images)
Brian Kelly, LSU, $10,175,000
(Petre Thomas, Imagn Images)
Bill Belichick, North Carolina, $10,100,000
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)
T10. Josh Heupel, Tennessee, $9,000,000
(Brianna Paciorka, News Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK)
T10. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri, $9,000,000
(Denny Medley, Imagn Images)
T10. Mark Stoops, Kentucky, $9,000,000
(Matt Stone, Courier Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK)
T10. Lane Kiffin, Mississippi, $9,000,000
(Petre Thomas, Imagn Images)
Deion Sanders, Colorado, $8,975,000
(Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images)
T15. James Franklin, Penn State, $8,500,000
(James Lang, Imagn Images)
T15. Matt Rhule, Nebraska, $8,500,00
(Dylan Widger, Imagn Images)
Mario Cristobal, Miami, $8,302,883
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
Curt Cignetti, Indiana, $8,300,000
(Rich Janzaruk, Herald-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Bret Bielema, Illinois, $8,200,000
(Ron Johnson, Imagn Images)
Shane Beamer, South Carolina, $8,150,000
(Jeff Blake, Imagn Images)
Luke Fickell, Wisconsin, $7,825,000
(Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Jedd Fisch, Washington, $7,575,024
(Joe Nicholson, Imagn Images)
Brent Venables, Oklahoma, $7,552,000
(BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Billy Napier, Florida, $7,470,000
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State, $7,442,000
(Patrick Breen, The Republicvia USA TODAY NETWORK)
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame, $7,421,201
(Michael Caterina, Imagn Images)
Jonathan Smith, Michigan State, $7,350,000
(Nick King, Lansing State Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh, $7,259,909
(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa, $7,175,000
(Jeffrey Becker, Imagn Images)
Sonny Dykes, TCU, $7,036,013
(Patrick Breen, The Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK)
T31. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota, $7,000,000
(Matt Krohn, Imagn Images)
T31. Mike Elko, Texas A&M, $7,000,000
(Maria Lysaker, Imagn Images)
1/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
In USA TODAY Sports' review of compensation for Division I football head coaches, we found 32 are earning $7,000,000 or more this season. Georgia’s' Kirby Smart is No. 1 at $13,282,580 million.
(Alan Poizner, Imagn Images)
1/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
In USA TODAY Sports' review of compensation for Division I football head coaches, we found 32 are earning $7,000,000 or more this season. Georgia’s' Kirby Smart is No. 1 at $13,282,580 million.
(Alan Poizner, Imagn Images)
2/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Ryan Day, Ohio State, $12,575,000
(Adam Cairns, Columbus Dispatchvia USA TODAY NETWORK)
3/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Lincoln Riley, Southern California, $11,537,560
(Ron Johnson, Imagn Images)
4/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Dabo Swinney, Clemson, $11,382,775
(Ken Ruinard, GREENVILLE NEWS via USA TODAY Network)
5/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Steve Sarkisian,Texas, $10,800,000
(Scott Wachter, Imagn Images)
6/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Dan Lanning, Oregon, $10,400,00
(Ben Lonergan, The Register-Guard via USA TODAY NETWORK)
7/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama, $10,250,000
(Melina Myers, Imagn Images)
8/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Brian Kelly, LSU, $10,175,000
(Petre Thomas, Imagn Images)
9/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Bill Belichick, North Carolina, $10,100,000
(Bob Donnan, Imagn Images)
10/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T10. Josh Heupel, Tennessee, $9,000,000
(Brianna Paciorka, News Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK)
11/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T10. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri, $9,000,000
(Denny Medley, Imagn Images)
12/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T10. Mark Stoops, Kentucky, $9,000,000
(Matt Stone, Courier Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK)
13/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T10. Lane Kiffin, Mississippi, $9,000,000
(Petre Thomas, Imagn Images)
14/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Deion Sanders, Colorado, $8,975,000
(Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images)
15/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T15. James Franklin, Penn State, $8,500,000
(James Lang, Imagn Images)
16/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T15. Matt Rhule, Nebraska, $8,500,00
(Dylan Widger, Imagn Images)
17/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Mario Cristobal, Miami, $8,302,883
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
18/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Curt Cignetti, Indiana, $8,300,000
(Rich Janzaruk, Herald-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK)
19/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Bret Bielema, Illinois, $8,200,000
(Ron Johnson, Imagn Images)
20/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Shane Beamer, South Carolina, $8,150,000
(Jeff Blake, Imagn Images)
21/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Luke Fickell, Wisconsin, $7,825,000
(Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK)
22/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Jedd Fisch, Washington, $7,575,024
(Joe Nicholson, Imagn Images)
23/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Brent Venables, Oklahoma, $7,552,000
(BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN via USA TODAY NETWORK)
24/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Billy Napier, Florida, $7,470,000
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
25/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State, $7,442,000
(Patrick Breen, The Republicvia USA TODAY NETWORK)
26/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame, $7,421,201
(Michael Caterina, Imagn Images)
27/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Jonathan Smith, Michigan State, $7,350,000
(Nick King, Lansing State Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK)
28/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh, $7,259,909
(Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images)
29/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa, $7,175,000
(Jeffrey Becker, Imagn Images)
30/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Sonny Dykes, TCU, $7,036,013
(Patrick Breen, The Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK)
31/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T31. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota, $7,000,000
(Matt Krohn, Imagn Images)
32/32
Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
T31. Mike Elko, Texas A&M, $7,000,000
(Maria Lysaker, Imagn Images)
Rivera's $800,000 base salary ranks him tied for fifth among college football general managers and other top front official personnel at public universities in Power Four conferences, according to data compiled by USA TODAY Sports. Among those schools, onlyNorth Carolina,Alabama,OregonandOhio Statewill pay their general manager or top front office official more in total compensation in 2025 than Cal will pay Rivera. Rivera's potential bonus is nearly $300,000 more than anyone else in a similar role at another public school.
Rivera described the arrangement as "a working relationship" withCal footballcoach Justin Wilcox whenhe met with reporters in Berkeley for the first time last April. Rivera is empowered to provide Wilcox what he needs to coach the team, and his decision-making areas include player recruitment and retention and Wilcox's coaching staff. When asked who had "ultimately authority" within the football program, Rivera responded, "I do have that, other than the chancellor."
"One thing everybody has to understand is I do have the opportunity working with the Chancellor to make decisions on what is best for Cal football because my hands are in every facet of Cal football," Rivera emphasized.
Cal started the 2025 season with four wins in its first five games before a 45-21 loss to Duke in ACC play on Oct. 4. Wilcox is in his ninth season as the Bears coach and coming off consecutive 6-6 regular-season campaigns that ended with bowl game defeats.
