Cal athletic director Jim Knowlton pronounces his retirement

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 dwelling within the Pac-12 fell aside.

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

“It has been an unbelievable honor to serve on the College of California, Berkeley, the No. 1 public college within the nation,” Knowlton mentioned in an announcement. “The expectation of holistic excellence helps to drive everybody related to the college, and our division isn’t any exception. The mixture of a world-class schooling, athletic excellence, an inclusive neighborhood, an awe-inspiring location and, most significantly, really particular folks, make Cal a powerful 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 file 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 file.

This system has proven some indicators of enchancment beneath Mark Madsen however has solely a 27-38 file to point out for it.

He additionally employed Charmin Smith to teach the ladies’s basketball program in 2019. She had a dropping file 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 Match this previous season, going 25-9 after dropping within the first spherical.

UC Berkeley Chancellor Wealthy 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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