Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
UCLA has fired athletic director Martin Jarmond after six years in the position, with the university citing significant financial challenges facing its athletics department.
Chancellor Julio Frenk announced Jarmond’s dismissal Monday in a letter to the UCLA community, saying the department’s current financial trajectory is unsustainable.
“UCLA Athletics currently carries a significant financial deficit, and its current path is not sustainable,” Frenk wrote.
Jarmond is owed approximately $6.5 million remaining on his contract, including his base salary and a retention bonus, according to ESPN.
Tim Harris, a former longtime Los Angeles Lakers executive and UCLA alumnus, will replace Jarmond as CEO and athletic director on an interim basis. Harris will serve in the role pro bono and has been tasked with finding new ways to generate revenue through partnerships, licensing and other ventures.
Jarmond’s Six-Year Tenure Ends
Jarmond became UCLA’s athletic director in 2020 after leaving Boston College. His tenure included several major changes across the university’s athletic department, most notably the Bruins’ move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten.
UCLA announced its decision to leave the Pac-12 in 2022, with the move officially taking effect in 2024 alongside crosstown rival USC.
The department also experienced significant turnover in football.
After Chip Kelly departed following the 2023 season, Jarmond helped decide to hire former UCLA running back DeShaun Foster as his replacement. Foster went 5-10 before UCLA fired him after opening the following season 0-3.
Jarmond subsequently helped lead the search that resulted in the hiring of Bob Chesney from James Madison in December. Chesney went 21-6 during his two seasons with the Dukes and led the program to the College Football Playoff.
Chesney’s first season at UCLA begins Saturday against California.
Harris Takes Over Amid Financial Overhaul
Frenk said Harris will focus on developing a new financial strategy for UCLA Athletics while preserving the breadth of the school’s sports programs.
“Now is the moment to build a model for Athletics that protects the breadth of our program, creates new opportunities for student-athletes and coaches, and supports itself through the revenue it generates,” Frenk wrote.
Harris spent more than three decades with the Lakers, most recently serving as the organization’s president of business operations. His experience in sports business and his relationships throughout Los Angeles will likely play a central role in UCLA’s efforts to increase revenue.
Frenk also praised Jarmond’s work during his time at UCLA, noting that Bruins student-athletes won three NCAA championships last year.
“I am grateful to Martin for his extraordinary service to UCLA and for his leadership over the past six years,” Frenk said.
Jarmond’s departure comes just days before the start of UCLA’s football season and marks another major change for a program attempting to establish itself financially and competitively in the Big Ten.
