Ron Rivera will join Cal in front-office type role

Former Panthers and Commanders coach Ron Rivera is taking a new job at the college level.

Rivera confirmed to multiple reporters that he’s heading back to his Alma Mater Cal to help the program in a front-office role.

“Coach Belichick has made going back to school, cool,” Rivera said in a text to multiple reporters. “Stay tuned I am coming home.”

Rivera was the Pac-10 defensive player of the year in 1983 for Cal and was a first-team All-Pac-10 honoree for the program that year. He was then a Bears second-round pick in 1984.

In 13 seasons as a head coach for Carolina and Washington, Rivera accumulated a 102-103-2 regular-season record with a 3-5 postseason record. He helped lead the 2015 Panthers to an appearance in Super Bowl 50.

Via Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Rivera’s job at Cal is slated to look like Andrew Luck’s role with Stanford, as Rivera will help the program, college, players, fundraisers, and athletic department excel in the changing landscape that is college football.

Rivera interviewed for a few head coaching jobs this offseason and was also a candidate to join new head coach Liam Coen’s staff in Jacksonville.