What Went Wrong Under Martin Jarmond at UCLA

There’s major news coming out of Westwood today.

UCLA Athletic Director Martin Jarmond, who has led the Bruins' athletic department since 2020, has been relieved of his duties. The UCLA athletic program has come under some severe scrutiny since Jarmond’s oversight, and the two have finally parted ways. The California Post reports that former Lakers executive Tim Harris will take over duties as the program's athletic director on a pro bono basis effective immediately.

Jarmond Moved UCLA to Big Ten

Jarmond’s tenure included UCLA’s move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten, a transition he helped lead for more than two years before the Bruins officially joined the conference in 2024.

This makes his departure a much more significant change for an athletic department that has undergone major transformation during Jarmond’s tenure.

The timing of this development makes this decision particularly significant. UCLA is entering a new territory in many aspects of the athletic department. The football program enters a brand-new era under head coach Bob Chesney, who was hired this past offseason.

The most scrutiny Jarmond faced was the difference between UCLA’s resources and the results of some of its most prominent programs. The football team cycled through three head coaches, and the men’s basketball team, one of the most prominent in the country, has not reached the Sweet 16 since 2023.

Meanwhile, the athletic department has run in the red for several years, according to the financial documents reviewed by the California Post. The athletics department also accumulated $241.1 million in deficits that the university had to cover.

Fresh Reset for Bruins Fans

Feb 13, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins athletic director Martin Jarmond listens as DeShaun Foster speaks to media after he was introduced as the new head football coach during a press conference at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

But now, UCLA can finally fully focus on the path ahead.

According to those same financial documents, the move to the Big Ten brought UCLA closer to balancing its athletic department budget, as the Bruins went from $19.9 million in Pac-12 media rights revenue in its final year to $61.2 million in Big Ten revenue. That can be transformational money, but only if the athletic director knows how to manage and spend it.

Dec 9, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins football coach Bob Chesney (left) and athletic director Martin Jarmond at introductory press conference at Renee Luskin Conference Center Centennial Ballroom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the first time in years, there is optimism in UCLA sports. Football head coach Bob Chesney arrives with a dominant resume from James Madison and provides Bruins fans with one of the most exciting offseasons in a long time.

For UCLA fans, this feels like a genuine reset. If the school executes, 2026 could mark the beginning of UCLA Athletics’ return to national relevance. However, if they continue to struggle, it may be clear that the problems lie much deeper than one former athletic director.

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