Cal Athletic Director Jim Knowlton Abruptly Announces Retirement: What’s Behind the Sudden Departure?

Jim Knowlton, the man steering Cal’s athletic ship through some of its wildest seas in recent memory, is hanging up his hat this July after a seven-year run. Talk about navigating a storm—he’s weathered a global pandemic, the seismic shift of NIL, and the seismic reshuffling of conferences that tossed the Golden Bears into the ACC after the Pac-12 imploded. Since stepping into the role back in 2018, Knowlton presided over a haul of 10 national titles and saw over a hundred Cal athletes grace the Summer Olympics stage—not too shabby at all. Yet, while the hardware gleamed, the marquee sports struggled to find footing, with football’s bowl appearances and basketball’s coaching carousel telling a tougher tale. As UC Berkeley prepares to pass the baton to Jay Larson and Jenny Simon-O’Neill, one can’t help but reflect on Knowlton’s legacy—a mix of resilience, challenges, and moments of glory on a backdrop of change. LEARN MORE

BERKELEY, Calif. — California athletic director Jim Knowlton is retiring after seven years on the job.Knowlton was named Cal’s athletic director on May 21, 2018, and the Bears captured 10 national championships during his tenure and had more than 100 athletes compete at the two Summer Olympics during 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 said in a statement. “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 didn’t have as much success in the high-profile sports. The football program qualified for four bowl games in his seven seasons but hasn’t had a winning record since 2019.UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons named current deputy athletic directors Jay Larson and Jenny Simon-O’Neill as the new co-directors of the program.

The program has shown some signs of improvement under Mark Madsen but has only a 27-38 record to show for it.Knowlton was in charge during a tumultuous time, dealing with COVID, the emergence of NIL and conference expansion that forced the Golden Bears to join the ACC after their longtime home in the Pac-12 fell apart.Knowlton hired two men’s basketball coaches and neither one has had a winning season. He hired Mark Fox in 2019 and fired him after four seasons with a 38-87 record.Knowlton announced that he will step down officially on July 1.He also hired Charmin Smith to coach the women’s basketball program in 2019. She had a losing record in each of her first four seasons before making progress the past two. The Bears went 19-15 in 2023-24 and then made the NCAA Tournament this past season, going 25-9 after losing in the first round.