BERKELEY, Calif. — After serving as the University of California’s athletic director for seven years, Jim Knowlton has announced his retirement, which will officially take effect on July 1.
During his tenure, Knowlton navigated several challenges, including the global pandemic, the emergence of name, image, and likeness (NIL) considerations, and significant conference realignments that led the Golden Bears to the ACC following the disintegration of the Pac-12, their long-standing conference affiliation.
Under Knowlton’s leadership, appointed on May 21, 2018, the Bears secured 10 national championship titles and saw over 100 athletes participate in the Summer Olympics across two cycles. “Serving at the University of California, Berkeley, the No. 1 public university in the country, has been an incredible honor,” Knowlton expressed in his statement. He praised the university for its commitment to holistic excellence, which he says is driven by a combination of educational quality, athletic prowess, community spirit, a stunning location, and its remarkable people.
Despite successes in certain areas, the university struggled in some high-profile sports during his time as athletic director. The football team managed to qualify for four bowl games but has not enjoyed a winning season since 2019.
In men’s basketball, Knowlton hired two head coaches, neither of whom achieved a winning season. Mark Fox, who was hired in 2019, was relieved of his duties after accumulating a 38-87 record over four years. Mark Madsen has shown potential for improvement, although his current record stands at 27-38.
On the women’s basketball front, Charmin Smith was appointed in 2019. Despite a challenging start with a losing record in the first four seasons, the program has seen progress in recent years. The Bears finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-15 record and made it to the NCAA Tournament in the following season, achieving a 25-9 record following a first-round exit.
In response to Knowlton’s retirement, UC Berkeley Chancellor, Rich Lyons, appointed Jay Larson and Jenny Simon-O’Neill, both current deputy athletic directors, as co-directors to lead the athletic program moving forward.