Amid a public donor backlash and continued questions from fans about the direction of the program following another wave of departures last week, Cal general manager Ron Rivera took time to speak with reporters Monday about the state of the program and the outlook as the Bears head into the rest of the offseason.

It was the first proper opportunity for Rivera to field questions from the Cal media since he was introduced as the first general manager for the program. It has been a hectic time in the weeks since that announcement, and Rivera quickly has a lot on his plate as he begins to hit the ground in his new role.

The Cal alum was asked about a variety of topics, but some stood out more than others and here were some of the most important things mentioned by Rivera during his 30-minute session to open the week.

When Rivera was announced as the new Cal GM back on March 20, there was some confusion about what his role would actually be and how it would line up with the rest of the staff both within the football program and in the athletic department overall.

The press release announcing Rivera's hiring specified that the Cal general manager would report directly to chancellor Rich Lyons while head coach Justin Wilcox would report to athletic director Jim Knowlton.

Monday, Rivera outlined what his new role entails and how exactly the reporting structure will work as the Bears look towards the future with a GM who should have immense influence over much of the program.

"Well, the biggest thing, more so than anything else, to understand is I will report directly to the chancellor at the University of California," Rivera said. "Rich Lyons is our chancellor and that's who I'm going to report directly to. I think the biggest thing everybody has to understand is that what I have with Justin is a working relationship. It's an opportunity for he and I to get together and discuss, collaborate, and talk about the things that we need to do at the university to help this football team become what I, again, believe can be, and that is a very successful program that's going to strive for excellence.

"I think that's the opportunity to work with Justin, I don't know if you guys have been out to practice, had an opportunity to see how he and I work. It's been very cool. I really appreciate the candidness in which he and I sit there and talk during practice, how he and I get together and talk about the things that are going on in meetings, and just around the facility, I think that's one of things people have to understand. This is not about, quote unquote reporting as much as this is about working together. And I think that's probably one of the most important things people have to understand. He and I are here to work together and striving to make this football team one of the best."

When asked if he would have ability to make hiring and firing decisions within the staff, Rivera said he will be able to have discussions about staffing moves with Lyons in what he repeatedly said will be a collaborative effort.

"I believe he's going to trust me and trust my opinion," the Cal general manager said. "As I look at these things and decide these are things that need to happen or should happen or can happen, I'm most certainly going to reach out and make sure he and I have the opportunity to talk about any decisions that I make."