Cal athletic director Jim Knowlton broadcasts his retirement

Jun 16, 2025 09:18 PM IST

Cal athletic director Jim Knowlton broadcasts his retirement

BERKELEY, Calif. — California athletic director Jim Knowlton is retiring after seven years on the job.

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Knowlton introduced on Monday that he’ll step down formally on July 1.

Knowlton was in cost throughout a tumultuous time, coping with COVID, the emergence of NIL and convention growth that compelled the Golden Bears to affix the ACC after their longtime house within the Pac-12 fell aside.

Knowlton was named Cal’s athletic director on May 21, 2018, and the Bears captured 10 nationwide championships throughout his tenure and had greater than 100 athletes compete on the two Summer Olympics throughout his tenure.

“It has been an incredible honor to serve at the University of California, Berkeley, the No. 1 public university in the country,” Knowlton mentioned in an announcement. “The expectation of holistic excellence helps to drive everyone associated with the university, and our department is no exception. The combination of a world-class education, athletic excellence, an inclusive community, an awe-inspiring location and, most importantly, truly special people, make Cal a magnificent place to serve.”

The Bears did not have as a lot success within the high-profile sports activities. The soccer program certified for 4 bowl video games in his seven seasons however hasn’t had a profitable report since 2019.

Knowlton employed two males’s basketball coaches and neither one has had a profitable season. He employed Mark Fox in 2019 and fired him after 4 seasons with a 38-87 report.

The program has proven some indicators of enchancment beneath Mark Madsen however has solely a 27-38 report to indicate for it.

He additionally employed Charmin Smith to teach the ladies’s basketball program in 2019. She had a dropping report in every of her first 4 seasons earlier than making progress the previous two. The Bears went 19-15 in 2023-24 after which made the NCAA Tournament this previous season, going 25-9 after dropping within the first spherical.

UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons named present deputy athletic administrators Jay Larson and Jenny Simon-O’Neill as the brand new co-directors of this system.

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