Stanford AD Bernard Muir’s resignation “comes at a critical time for Stanford’s major sports, football and men’s basketball,” which are “struggling for traction during a period of massive change in college sports,” according to Jon Wilner of the San Jose MERCURY NEWS. Stanford has been “slow to adjust” to NIL and the transfer portal. While Muir was “hardly the primary reason for the failure to adapt rapidly, his successor must work effectively with the administration, head coaches and key donors alike.” A “clear indication of Muir’s waning influence” was when Stanford President Jonathan Levin hired former QB Andrew Luck as football GM to oversee the program three months after Levin was named president in August. Muir was hired as Stanford AD in July 2012 after previously serving in the same role at Georgetown and Delaware. During Muir’s tenure, the men’s basketball team reached the NCAA Tournament once, while the women’s basketball team made the NCAA Tournament each year of his tenure, “though legendary coach Tara VanDerveer’s departure last spring has brought about uncertainty.” In football, Muir oversaw coach David Shaw’s departure in late 2022, then hired Troy Taylor (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 2/24).
MUCH ACCOMPLISHED: In S.F., Ingemi & Kroichick noted that “many Stanford athletic programs have found success in recent years” under Muir, but the “revenue sports have strugggled.” Muir’s tenure has included more than 30 national championships. The Cardinal also won three Pac-12 football titles and one Rose Bowl, while the women’s basketball team won the 2021 national championship. However, the football program has not played in a bowl game since 2018, and the men’s basketball program has not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2014. This year’s women’s basketball program is “in danger of missing NCAAs for the first time since 1987.” Stanford also “controversially cut” 11 of the school’s 36 athletic programs in 2020, only to reverse course the next year “amid furious backlash.” Muir was also in charge of athletics during the “Varsity Blues scandal,” when Stanford sailing coach John Vandemoer was charged with accepting bribes to classify school applicants as athletes. Muir also oversaw the Cardinal’s move to the ACC, which “likely saved the athletic department” after the collapse of the Pac-12. Levin “made it clear” he wants Stanford to “extend its history of success in sports” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/24).
