Named Stanford’s Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics on July 27, 2012, Bernard Muir enters his ninth season on The Farm in 2020-21.
Through eight years under Muir’s leadership, Stanford has extended two of the most recognizable streaks in college athletics. In 2018-19, the Cardinal claimed its 25th straight Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup, presented to the most successful intercollegiate athletic department in the nation. Stanford has also won at least one NCAA team championship in each of the last 44 academic seasons, the longest such streak in the country.
Muir has presided over one of the most successful stretches in school history, with the Cardinal having won 23 NCAA championships and 31 national titles overall during his tenure. Look no further than the 2018-19 campaign, in which Stanford captured NCAA crowns 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 the athletic campaign with a seventh national championship in IRA lightweight rowing.
Two years after overtaking rival UCLA as the nation’s all-time leader in NCAA team championships, Stanford increased its lead in 2019. The Cardinal enters the 2020-21 campaign at 126, eight more than the Bruins’ 118.
Stanford captured three NCAA championships last fall, before the 2019-20 campaign resulted in a nationwide stoppage of collegiate competition due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Men’s water polo and women’s soccer claimed NCAA crowns within a five-hour span on Dec. 8, 2019, becoming the first teams in NCAA history to win it all on the same day since Stanford’s men’s cross country and women’s cross country squads accomplished the feat back on Nov. 24, 2003. Nearly two weeks later, women’s volleyball repeated as NCAA champions, securing its ninth national championship in school history and third in four seasons.
The shortened 2019-20 season also resulted in a one-year hiatus for a pair of national awards. Both the aforementioned Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup, and the Capital One Cup, which the Cardinal had won three consecutive seasons on the women’s side, were not awarded.
Stanford was equally prolific in the classroom in 2019-20, with 13 programs earning perfect 1,000 multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores, measuring data collected over a span of four academic years. Additionally, 16 varsity teams earned APR Public Recognition Awards from the NCAA. Stanford registered an overall graduation rate of 96 percent in the latest Graduation Success Rate, with 20 programs earning a 100 percent graduation rate. The fourth year of the Rubenstein-Bing Student-Athlete Civic Engagement (ACE) Program also yielded positive results, as 20 student-athletes joined their peers from Duke in a three-week, immersive summer service volunteer program with visits to South Africa, Vietnam, China and Peru. The Cardinal also produced 15 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans.
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, Sunken Diamond renovation, Laird Q. Cagan Stadium expansion, Siebel Training Complex, Beach Volleyball Stadium, Arrillaga Outdoor Education & Recreation Center and Stanford Golf Course renovation. Recently completed projects include Arrillaga Hall, which houses the Athletic Academic Resource Center and a rowing training center, and various renovations of Boyd and Jill Smith Family Stadium.
Meanwhile, DAPER continues to experience a consistent wave of fundraising support, with 14 coach/director endowments created during Muir’s tenure.
In addition to its varsity sports, DAPER supports campus-wide physical education academic classes, fitness and wellness, aquatics, intramurals, adventure programming and 32 club sports. Stanford’s five recreational facilities welcomed more than one million visits last year.
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, who served as vice chair for the 2017-18 season, began his stint with the committee in 2012. Muir was also a member of USA Basketball’s 12-member Board of Directors from 2017-20.
In October 2017, Muir was appointed to the United States Olympic Committee’s newly-formed Collegiate Advisory Council, the latest step taken by the USOC to increase collaboration with NCAA member institutions and conferences to elevate national engagement and support of Olympic sport opportunities. Additionally, 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 July 2020, Muir was appointed to the executive committee of the newly formed 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.
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 recent Stanford graduate and member of the lacrosse team, and Millie, who is a high school junior.
