Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir will step down from his position at the conclusion of this academic year, he announced Tuesday.
Muir is finishing his 13th year at the school, which during his tenure has won more than 30 NCAA championships and eight Directors’ Cups for overall athletic department excellence.
“I am forever proud of the history we made and protected, the long list of championships and champions, and the focus we applied to connecting those committed to this university to the greatest good for the Cardinal,” Muir said in a statement. “My experience at Stanford will forever hold its significant place on my treasured journey in collegiate sports. I now look forward to the next compelling challenge and to making the next important contribution.”
Stanford will appoint an acting athletic director in the coming weeks before searching for a permanent replacement.
“We are grateful to Bernard for his unwavering commitment to Stanford and to our unique tradition of student athletes who excel both on the field and in the classroom,” school president Jon Levin said. “Bernard has led the Cardinal to more championships than any other college athletic program and has helped Stanford navigate the biggest changes the college athletics landscape has ever seen. I’m grateful for all that he has done for Stanford and for our students.”
The move comes amid a transitional period for the athletic department. The school is completing its first season in the ACC, a move made amid the fracturing of the traditional Pac-12.
Stanford’s marquee sports have struggled in recent seasons. The football program has lost nine games each of the past four seasons and has not played in a bowl since 2018 (it was bowl-eligible during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season).
Muir had already handed the day-to-day task of overseeing the football program to former star player Andrew Luck, who was hired last fall as the general manager of the program. The Cardinal are looking to rebound after going to three Rose Bowls under former coach David Shaw in Muir’s first four years as AD.
The men’s basketball program hasn’t made the NCAA tournament since Muir’s second season in 2013-14 under former coach Johnny Dawkins.
Dawkins was fired in 2016 and replaced by Jerod Haase, who failed to make the tournament once in eight years.
Muir hired Kyle Smith last March to take over and the Cardinal are 17-10 so far this season for their most wins since 2019-20.
Muir also hired Kate Paye as women’s basketball coach last year after Hall of Famer Tara VanDerveer retired. The Cardinal are 14-13 this season and in danger of being left out of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1987.
Muir is a decorated administrator and served as chair of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball committee for the 2018-19 season. He began working with the committee in 2012.
Muir has also been a member of USA Basketball’s 12-member board of directors since 2017.
Before his arrival at Stanford in 2012, Muir held the same position at Georgetown and Delaware. He also worked in the athletic department at Notre Dame, rising to deputy athletic director before departing in 2005.
In 2021, Stanford reversed course after announcing it would eliminate 11 of its 36 varsity sports. A grassroots effort helped save the sports, and the school drew significant scrutiny for the initial decision.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
