UCLA Fires AD amid 'Significant Financial Deficit,' Replaced by Former Lakers Exec Tim Harris

UCLA is moving on from athletic director Martin Jarmond after more than five years at the helm, per ESPN's Pete Thamel.

The school is replacing Jarmond with former Los Angeles Lakers executive Tim Harris, who will work the interim role on a pro bono basis.

Jarmond's firing comes amid what UCLA described as a "significant financial deficit."

"UCLA Athletics currently carries a significant financial deficit, and its current path is not sustainable," UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk wrote in a statement. "Now is the moment to build a model for Athletics that protects the breadth of our program, creates new opportunities for student-athletes and coaches, and supports itself through the revenue it generates.

"I believe UCLA should help lead the transformation of intercollegiate athletics: our future must be shaped by purpose — not by pressure."

Since Jarmond took over in 2020, UCLA's major sports have struggled to find much success, primarily in football. The Bruins have reached just three bowl games and are coming off a 3-9 season.

UCLA basketball reached the Final Four in Jarmond's first year as AD but hasn't made it past the Sweet 16 since then. Its women's team has found more success, reaching the Elite Eight two years ago and the Final Four last year.

But Jarmond's firing seemingly has more to do with what has happened off the field. According to Ben Bolch of the California Post, UCLA has been in the red in every fiscal year since Jarmond took over and ran up a tab of $241.1 million, requiring a university bailout.

Frenk also cited UCLA's struggles in the NIL department in his letter announcing Jarmond's firing.

"We have all watched as the landscape of college athletics has transformed in recent years, driven by the introduction of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), new models for student-athlete compensation and a rapidly changing sports marketplace," Frenk wrote. "UCLA must have an athletics model that leads — not just keeps pace."

UCLA will now begin a search for its next athletics director, but will be led by Harris in the meantime.

Harris was a goalkeeper for UCLA's soccer team in the 1980s and went on to forge a 35-year career with the Lakers, where he served as president of business operations.

"Simply put, he loves UCLA and cares deeply about our future," Frenk wrote of Harris. "Tim knows what it takes to grow a world-class sports organization and global brand, and he holds longstanding relationships throughout Los Angeles and globally. He brings decades of experience in creating partnerships and new sources of revenue, along with a personal focus on centering the student-athlete experience. I am especially grateful for Tim's willingness to serve UCLA on a pro bono basis.

"Tim will develop a new strategy to grow revenue through partnerships, licensing and other ventures, while ensuring that our student-athletes and coaches have the required support to compete at the highest level."

UCLA football begins its football season on Saturday against Cal, marking the start of the Bob Chesney era after the head coach was hired in December.