Tim Harris replacing UCLA AD Martin Jarmond in ‘new path forward’

UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond, whose stewardship of Bruin athletics has come under increasing scrutiny, is being replaced by former Lakers executive Tim Harris in a massive shakeup, the California Post has learned.

Harris will serve as athletic director and CEO of the athletic department on a pro bono basis effective immediately, with UCLA chancellor Julio Frenk announcing the move to the university community Monday afternoon as part of what he described as a “new path forward for UCLA Athletics.”

“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 in his message. “UCLA must have an athletics model that leads — not just keeps pace.”

UCLA Bruins Athletic Director Martin Jarmond sits courtside during the first half of a women’s basketball game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California, on February 4, 2026. ISI Photos via Getty Images

Jarmond’s leadership came into question as his athletic department posted one huge deficit after another since he replaced Dan Guerrero in the summer of 2020. Running in the red every fiscal year, the department ran up a total tab of $241.1 million that required a university bailout to cover.

While thanking Jarmond for his leadership over his six-year tenure, Frenk also referenced the debt as a reason for making the change.

“UCLA Athletics currently carries a significant financial deficit, and its current path is not sustainable,” Frenk wrote. “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.”

UCLA is expected to eventually commence a national search for a permanent replacement as athletic director. One person close to the situation told the Post that the school would honor the terms of Jarmond’s contract, which call for him to receive the remaining balance of roughly $5.9 million on the five-year contract extension he signed in May 2024.

A UCLA alumnus and former goalie on the Bruin men’s soccer team, Harris had recently been tapped by Frenk to do some consulting work, including taking a look at athletics finances.

Now he’ll be doing considerably more for his alma mater.

Tim Harris, Los Angeles Lakers president of business operations, speaks as the Lakers host a 2021-2022 season kick-off event to unveil a new global marketing partnership with Bibigo at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California, on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. The Bibigo logo will appear on the Lakers jersey. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

“Simply put, he loves UCLA and cares deeply about our future,” Frenk wrote of Harris, who was the Lakers’ president of business operations during his more than 35 years with the organization. “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.”

Jarmond became increasingly unpopular after championing the hire of wildly unsuccessful football coach DeShaun Foster, the onetime Bruin star running back who had to be fired three games into his second season after compiling a 5-10 record.

Fan dissatisfaction with Jarmond peaked last fall, when airplane banners calling for his dismissal flew over the Rose Bowl before two games and a van bearing a similar message drove around campus.

Donors also criticized Jarmond for being slow to embrace the importance of NIL endeavors critical to the success of a modern athletic department, as well as his refusal to fire football coach Chip Kelly despite sustained mediocrity.

While UCLA won nine NCAA championships under Jarmond, the football team cycled through three coaches and the men’s basketball team hasn’t reached a Sweet 16 since 2023.

However, Jarmond also shepherded the school’s move to the Big Ten – which could position its athletic department to eventually turn the corner financially – and chaired the search committee that hired Bob Chesney, who is being widely hailed as the coup of the most recent football coaching carousel.

But the list of criticisms has continued to mount as Jarmond’s athletic department developed a reputation for being unresponsive. After a database of sensitive high-level donor information was inadvertently distributed via email to several dozen donors in the fall of 2023, there was no apology or further communication besides a follow-up email recalling the message.

Hired by former UCLA chancellor Gene Block from Boston College after interviewing on Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jarmond was initially hailed for his visibility and willingness to engage on social media.

Jarmond tweeted live game highlights and provided one fan free tickets for the men’s basketball team’s run to the 2021 Final Four. After Under Armour backed out of its historic apparel deal with UCLA, Jarmond helped the school land a replacement deal with Nike that was popular with athletes.

But his social media presence was far more subdued in recent years after telling one fan to “read the room” when that fan criticized Kelly in the wake of UCLA’s football upset of rival USC in 2023.