UCLA Ousts Jarmond, Names Ex-Lakers Executive Harris CEO
UCLA Ousts Jarmond, Names Ex-Lakers Executive Harris CEO
UCLA dismissed athletic director Martin Jarmond on Monday, ending his six-year tenure, and installed Tim Harris, the former longtime president of business operations for the Los Angeles Lakers, in his place. Chancellor Julio Frenk announced the change in a letter to the university community, calling it a "new path forward for UCLA Athletics."
Harris, 64, will serve as CEO and athletic director on a pro bono basis, according to Frenk's letter. A 1989 UCLA graduate who played goalkeeper for the men's soccer team, Harris spent more than 35 years with the Lakers before leaving the franchise in February, four months after the Buss family sold the team to Dodgers owner Mark Walter. He was among the executives in Jeanie Buss' inner circle who received a substantial payout tied to that sale; the Lakers have since changed ownership again. pariuri handbal hla
Jarmond, 46, took over as athletic director in 2020, succeeding Dan Guerrero, and signed a five-year contract extension in May 2024. His departure comes despite last season's three NCAA championships, including the women's basketball program's first title. But the department ran deficits for seven straight years under his leadership, accumulating $241 million in shortfalls. UCLA's move to the Big Ten two years ago brought increased media-rights revenue alongside higher travel costs, and the deficit narrowed to $21.6 million in fiscal 2025 - still requiring repeated financial bailouts from the university.
Frenk pointed directly to those finances in explaining the shake-up. "UCLA Athletics currently carries a significant financial debt, and its current path is not sustainable," he wrote, adding that the department needs a model that "protects the breadth of our program, creates new opportunities for student-athletes and coaches, and supports itself through the revenue it generates." He also cited the rapid changes reshaping college sports through name, image and likeness compensation, writing that "UCLA must have an athletics model that leads - not just keeps pace."
Jarmond's exit means he will not see the debut of his final major hire: football coach Bob Chesney, who arrived from James Madison in early December to rebuild UCLA's struggling program. The Bruins open their season Saturday at California.
