Bernard Muir to resign after 13 years as Stanford’s athletic director

Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir has announced his intent to resign from his position by the end of this academic year. Muir has been the head of Stanford Athletics for 13 years. 

“It has been my honor to serve as the Director of Athletics at Stanford,” said Muir in a statement to The Daily. “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 is expected to appoint an acting athletic director in the next few weeks before launching its search for Muir’s permanent replacement.

Since Muir’s hiring in 2012, Stanford has won eight Directors Cups, awarded annually to the best athletic department in the nation, and more than 30 national championships.

“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,” University 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.”

Muir oversaw the Cardinal through a period of drastic change in college sports, including the rise of NIL legislation, the COVID-19 pandemic and the frantic move to find a landing spot when the Pac-12 collapsed, a period of uncertainty that ended with the Cardinal in the Atlantic Coast Conference. 

Muir also headed the athletic department during some of its biggest scandals, including the Varsity Blues case that saw parents paying coaches for help with the admissions process. Muir was also at the epicenter of the decision to cut 11 sports in 2020, a decision that was met with protest and eventually overturned.  

Despite success across many sports, some of Stanford’s highest profile sports have struggled in recent years. Football just experienced a fourth straight 3-9 season, and men’s basketball has not made the NCAA Tournament since 2014. Stanford also lost the Directors Cup for the first time in 25 years in 2021.

This is a breaking story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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