California athletic director Jim Knowlton introduced his retirement Monday after seven years. He’ll stay athletic director by way of July 1, the college mentioned in a launch. Chancellor Wealthy Lyons mentioned the transition interval will likely be used to implement a brand new management construction throughout the athletic division. Based on ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Cal soccer coach Justin Wilcox will report back to newly employed common supervisor Ron Rivera within the absence of an athletic director.
The shift in soccer oversight follows stress from main athletics donors, who withheld contributions to the California Legends Collective – Cal’s major third-party NIL collective – till Rivera obtained full management of the soccer program, based on SFGATE. Beforehand, Wilcox reported on to Knowlton, whereas Rivera served in a extra advisory function. Donors considered Rivera’s NFL expertise as higher fitted to a quasi-executive place overseeing soccer operations.
“It has been an unbelievable honor to serve on the College of California, Berkeley, the No. 1 public college within the nation,” Knowlton mentioned within the launch. “The expectation of holistic excellence helps to drive everybody related to the college, and our division isn’t any exception. The mix of a world-class schooling, athletic excellence, an inclusive group, an awe-inspiring location and, most significantly, really particular folks, make Cal an impressive place to serve.”
Throughout his seven years at Cal, Knowlton led the athletic division by way of main initiatives and challenges, together with directing facility upgrades and enjoying a pivotal function in Cal’s transfer from the Pac-12 to the ACC — a choice largely pushed by the collapse of the Pac-12 and the necessity for monetary stability. Satirically, all three athletic administrators who oversaw new applications becoming a member of the ACC – Cal, SMU and Stanford – departed or retired this yr.
Nevertheless, criticism grew in recent times over the division’s strategic route, notably concerning soccer and NIL. In an effort to modernize Cal’s strategy, the college employed Rivera as its first common supervisor for the soccer program. A former Cal linebacker, Rivera brings greater than a decade of NFL head teaching expertise with the Carolina Panthers (2011-19) and Washington Commanders (2020–23), signaling a shift towards a extra professionalized soccer infrastructure.
Some main donors and alumni expressed frustration over what they noticed as an absence of innovation in Cal’s NIL technique and a disconnect between athletics management and the evolving calls for of main faculty soccer. Tensions round soccer oversight, specifically, escalated in latest months, forming a backdrop to the timing of Knowlton’s departure.
“On behalf of the Cal group, I need to thank Jim for his management, his integrity, and his devotion to the educational and athletic success of our pupil athletes,” Lyons mentioned within the launch. “Jim’s work and accomplishments have set the stage for the following period of excellence throughout Cal Athletics.”
Knowlton beforehand served as athletic director at Air Drive from 2015-18.