Bernard Muir’s time at Stanford is coming to an end.
The longtime athletic director announced on Tuesday that he will step down from his post at the end of the academic year.
After nearly 13 years leading one of the most successful intercollegiate athletic departments in the country, Bernard Muir has announced his intention to step down as Director of Stanford Athletics at the end of this academic year.
— Stanford Cardinal 🌲🤓 (@GoStanford) February 25, 2025
“It has been my honor to serve as the Director of Athletics at Stanford,” he said in a statement. “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.”
Muir, 56, is wrapping up his 13th year at Stanford, where he helped oversee the program’s transition from the Pac-12 into the ACC. The Cardinal won more than 30 NCAA titles and eight Director’s Cups — which is awarded to the country’s top athletic department — under his watch.
Despite those successes, however, both the football and men’s basketball teams have struggled. The football program hasn’t won more than four games since the 2018 season, which was the last time they reached a bowl game. The men’s basketball team has made the NCAA tournament just once in the past 17 seasons. The program currently holds a 17-10 record in the first year under new head coach Kyle Smith.
The women’s basketball team was incredibly successful under his watch, though that was thanks to longtime coach Tara VanDerveer. She spent 38 seasons with the program before she retired last spring, and she picked up a then-record 1,216 wins in her career. The school named the basketball court at Maples Pavilion after her.
Muir was hired at Stanford in 2012 to replace Bob Bowlsby. He previously held the same position at both Delaware and Georgetown, and he also worked as Notre Dame’s deputy athletic director. Muir has also been a member of USA Basketballs’ board of directors and previously served as the chair of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball committee.
Stanford will appoint an interim athletic director in the near future, and then launch a search 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,” Stanford president Jon Levin said in a statement. “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.”
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