By Stewart Mandel, Ralph D. Russo, Matt Baker, and Lauren Merola

Stanford University’s athletic director, Bernard Muir, is poised to step down after a 13-year tenure, according to sources familiar with his intentions, as confirmed on Monday.

ESPN was the first to report on Muir’s anticipated resignation.

At 56 years old, Muir oversaw a significant transition in Stanford football, facilitating the change from longstanding coach David Shaw to Troy Taylor in 2022, and he was also instrumental in bringing on board Andrew Luck in an expanded “hands-on” general manager position for the 2024 season. Additionally, Muir navigated two coaching changes in men’s basketball and the retirement of the celebrated women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer.

Despite challenges, Muir’s leadership ensured that Stanford remained one of the country’s most comprehensive athletic departments. Under his guidance, the Cardinal secured the prestigious Learfield Directors’ Cup, awarded to the nation’s premier athletic programs, eight times, finishing as runners-up in other years. Since Muir took over from Bob Bowlsby in 2012, Stanford has added 33 NCAA championships to its remarkable legacy.

However, Stanford has encountered difficulties in its most high-profile sports recently. After competing in three Rose Bowls in the early 2010s, the football team has struggled, ending the last four seasons with 3-9 records. The men’s basketball team has not participated in the NCAA Tournament since 2014, and the historically strong women’s basketball program, which achieved national championship glory in 2021, faces the prospect of missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987, following VanDerveer’s retirement and the promotion of longtime assistant Kate Paye.

The university’s rigorous admissions standards have posed challenges for its programs in adapting to the evolving landscape of college athletics, particularly in relation to the transfer portal. Additionally, Stanford has been slow to engage with NIL initiatives. Notable players such as Lauren Betts (UCLA) and Kiki Iriafen (USC) departed before their eligibility concluded, and standout softball player NiJaree Canady transferred to Texas Tech, unable to match the $1 million NIL deal offered by that institution.

In an interview with The Athletic last summer, Muir discussed the university’s cautious approach to NIL, stating, “We were very deliberate at first, ensuring that our actions were equitable and compliant with the regulations.”

Among Muir’s lasting contributions to Stanford is his adept handling of the shifting landscape of conference realignment. Following the collapse of the Pac-12 in 2023, Muir was instrumental in securing a new alliance as Stanford reached an agreement with the ACC in September 2023, set to join as full members beginning in the 2024-25 academic year.

At that time, Muir explained that Stanford would start with a 30 percent revenue share for the first seven years, transitioning to 70 percent in the eighth year, 75 percent in the ninth, and reaching full 100 percent by the tenth year.

“We saw this as a tremendous opportunity, even if the logistics may raise questions for some,” he remarked. “Our student-athlete leaders expressed a desire to compete at a high level, and we believe we can manage the travel demands alongside our academic commitments.”

(Photo: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)