Named Stanford’s Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics on July 27, 2012, Bernard Muir begins his 13th season in 2024-25.
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 33 NCAA championships and 46 national titles overall, in addition to 141 conference championships, over the last 12 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 48 seasons, the longest such streak in the country and a stretch that dates back to the 1976-77 campaign.
In 2023-24, men’s gymnastics and women’s golf embraced their status as title favorites and won their respective national championships in wire-to-wire fashion. Stanford also brought home two ICSA national titles in sailing for the second consecutive season. Six years after overtaking UCLA as the nation's all-time leader in NCAA team championships, Stanford enters the 2024-25 campaign with 136 overall, gaining separation from its closest competitors in UCLA (123) and USC (113). The Cardinal, which has won 167 national team championships overall, will enter its first season as a member of the ACC in 2024-25 after spending more than a century in the Pac-12.
Since Muir’s arrival, Stanford has won eight Learfield Directors’ Cup trophies, continuing a stretch in which the Cardinal has won the award in 26 of the possible 30 seasons. Stanford has also claimed 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 98 percent in the latest Graduation Success Rate (GSR), with 21 varsity teams earning a 100 percent graduation rate.
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. Within the past year, Muir announced the establishment of an in-house NIL General Manager position, in collaboration with Altius Sports Partners. Meanwhile, Lifetime Cardinal, an NIL collective in support of Stanford Athletics, is an independently owned and operated organization founded by long-time alumni and supporters of Stanford University and Stanford Athletics.
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, highlighted by in-progress renovations of Taube Family Tennis Stadium and Boyd and Jill Smith Family Stadium. Other notable enhancements include 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, renovations have also taken place at Sunken Diamond and the Stanford Golf Course.
Meanwhile, DAPER continues to experience a consistent wave of fundraising support through endowed scholarships and coaching positions. An additional 135 scholarships, a testament to the generosity and dedication of Cardinal donors, are making a significant impact on the lives of student-athletes.
Since Muir’s arrival in 2012, Stanford has announced 17 endowed head coachships, 34 assistant coachships and six directorships. These positions create stability in the athletics department by defraying administrative costs and serve as a powerful and meaningful celebration of donor philanthropy and coaching success, fostering a sense of pride and connection within the Stanford community.
In addition to its varsity sports, DAPER supports campus-wide physical wellness through academic classes, fitness programs, aquatics, adventure programming, youth programming, intramural sports and 50 club sports. DAPER manages the Stanford Golf Course, the historic Red Barn and Equestrian Center and six recreational facilities that welcome more than one million visits annually.
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 has also served as a member of the NCAA Gender Equity Task Force committee since 2015.
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 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 sophomore at Duke and member of the women’s volleyball team.
updated Dec. 16, 2024