Bernard Muir

Named Stanford’s Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics on July 27, 2012, Bernard Muir begins his 12^th season in 2023-24.

During Muir’s tenure, Stanford has maintained its reputation as the most successful intercollegiate athletic department in the nation. Muir has presided over the most decorated stretch in school history, with the Cardinal having won 31 NCAA championships and 42 national titles overall, in addition to 124 conference championships, over the last 11 seasons.

Stanford has also extended one of the most recognizable streaks in college athletics under Muir’s guidance, winning at least one NCAA team championship in each of the last 47 seasons, the longest such streak in the country and a stretch that dates back to the 1976-77 campaign.

In 2022-23, Stanford reclaimed its familiar position as the nation's most successful intercollegiate athletic department, capturing its first LEARFIELD Directors' Cup since the 2018-19 campaign and 26th overall in the possible 29 seasons of the award. The Cardinal won NCAA championships in men’s gymnastics, women’s water polo and women’s rowing, increasing its all-time leading total to 134 and gaining separation from UCLA (121) and USC (112). Stanford also took home two national titles in sailing, bringing its national team championships count to 163 overall.

Since Muir’s arrival, Stanford has won the LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup eight times, in addition to claiming 10 Capital One Cups (seven women, three men) while remaining the only school to deliver a season sweep of the men's and women's titles in the history of the award.

Stanford’s most successful season under Muir came in 2018-19, capturing NCAA championships in women's volleyball, women's swimming and diving, men's gymnastics, women's water polo, women's tennis and men's golf. The Cardinal’s six titles matched its own NCAA record for an academic year, having also won six in 1996-97. Stanford rounded out its athletic campaign with a national championship in IRA lightweight rowing.
 
Stanford’s commitment to academic achievement under Muir remains as strong as ever, registering an overall graduation rate of 96 percent in the latest Graduation Success Rate (GSR), with 16 varsity teams earning a 100 percent graduation rate. The eighth year of the Rubenstein-Bing Student-Athlete Civic Engagement (ACE) Program also yielded positive results, as 29 teams have been represented in the three-week, immersive summer service volunteer program since 2016.

Muir has also been intentional about keeping Stanford well-positioned nationally through ongoing departmental initiatives such as NIL education and opportunities, enhanced diversity, equity and inclusion programming, social justice and anti-racism advisory support and student-athlete well-being and mental health awareness. Over the last year, Muir reinforced Stanford’s pledge to strengthening leadership and celebrating achievement as part of DAPER’s 50^th anniversary celebration of Title IX, highlighted by the induction of the department’s first all-female Hall of Fame class in September 2022.

In 2018-19, Muir unveiled a comprehensive Strategic Plan for DAPER (Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation), developing a multi-faceted roadmap designed to accomplish the department’s mission of Inspiring Champions in Life.

Several of DAPER’s notable facility upgrades have been launched during Muir’s tenure, including the following: Arrillaga Family Sports Center addition, Home of Champions and Sydney & Theodore Rosenberg Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame, Stanford Stadium fieldhouse, Laird Q. Cagan Stadium expansion, Siebel Training Complex, Beach Volleyball Stadium, Arrillaga Outdoor Education & Recreation Center. In addition to Arrillaga Hall, which houses the Athletic Academic Resource Center and a rowing training center, various renovations have taken place at Sunken Diamond, Boyd and Jill Smith Family Stadium and the Stanford Golf Course.

In February 2023, Muir was appointed the new chair of the United States Olympic Committee's Collegiate Advisory Council, which brings high-contributing collegiate administrators and athletes with both collegiate sport and Team USA experience together to help bridge and develop the relationship between the key stakeholders.

Muir was among four new members added to the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) Board of Trustees in July 2021, contributing to the organization’s mission in advancing girls and women in sports through research, advocacy, community programming and a wide variety of collaborative partnerships. Muir has also served as a member of the NCAA Gender Equity Task Force committee since 2015.

In July 2020, Muir was appointed to the executive committee of the Black AD Alliance, whose mission is to grow, develop and elevate Black athletics administrators at the Division I level while partnering with NCAA senior leadership and the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association.

For the 2018-19 season, Muir served as chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee, which oversees all administrative aspects of the NCAA Tournament. Muir served as vice chair for the 2017-18 season and began his stint with the NCAA committee in 2012. Muir has also been a member of USA Basketball’s 12-member Board of Directors since 2017.

In October 2017, Muir was tabbed to serve on the Bay Area Host Committee executive board in preparation for the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship held at Levi’s Stadium.

In 2016, Muir was an Athletic Director of the Year finalist for the Sports Business Journal Awards. In 2015, Muir was a recipient of the NCAA’s prestigious Silver Anniversary Award, which annually recognizes distinguished individuals on the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of their collegiate athletics careers while taking into account professional achievements.

Muir brought nearly 25 years of athletic administrative experience to The Farm from stops at Delaware, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Butler, Auburn and the NCAA. Muir directed Delaware’s athletics program from 2009-12 and was director of athletics at Georgetown from 2005-09.

Before joining the athletics administration at Georgetown, Muir served as deputy director of athletics for administration and facilities at Notre Dame from 2004-05. He also served at Notre Dame as senior associate athletic director for student welfare and development from 2003-04 and as associate athletic director for student welfare and development from 2000-03.

Muir worked for the NCAA from 1998-2000 as director of operations for the Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship and from 1992-98 as assistant director of the Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship.

In 2007, Muir was named to Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal’s “Top 40 Under 40.”

Muir earned a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Behavior and Management from Brown in 1990 and a master’s in sports administration from Ohio in 1992.

As an undergraduate at Brown, Muir was a four-year letterwinner in basketball.

Muir and his wife, Liz, have two daughters, Libby, a 2020 Stanford graduate who also competed as a member of the lacrosse team, and Millie, a redshirt freshman at Duke and member of the women’s volleyball team.