UCLA made it official Tuesday: It has a new athletic director.
The university announced it has hired Martin Jarmond as the new leader of the athletic department, ending a search that began in January. Jarmond, who spent the past three years in the same role at Boston College, will replace Dan Guerrero, who is set to retire at the end of June following an 18-year tenure with the Bruins.
UCLA and Jarmond agreed to a six-year contract averaging $1.4 million annually, plus incentives. He will receive $1.03 million in the first year of the contract in addition to a one-time signing bonus of $339,900.
Jarmond will assume his new position on or before July 1.
“UCLA is an aspirational program in intercollegiate athletics,” Jarmond said in a statement. “Steeped in history and success, the tradition of legends and barrier-breakers who call themselves Bruins is unmatched.”
Jarmond, 40, comes to UCLA as a trailblazer. He is the first African American to serve as athletic director in Westwood. When he was first hired at Boston College, he was the youngest athletic director in the Power Five. He is the first UCLA athletic director without previous ties to the school in its 101-year history.
“Martin is a principled, proven leader with a deep commitment to values that align with UCLA’s mission,” UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said in a statement. “From Rafer Johnson to John Wooden, this program has always inspired our student-athletes and supporters alike to persevere and excel. I am confident Martin will help UCLA carry on that storied tradition, with his exceptional leadership, high integrity and excitement for our future.”
Jarmond arrives at UCLA having developed a reputation as a strong fundraiser who can connect with donors and student-athletes. He inherits a situation in Westwood that will require that skillset.
UCLA faces a precarious economic situation heading into the 2020-21 sports year after the athletic department ran an $18.9 million deficit during the 2019 fiscal year. The athletic department took out an interest-bearing loan from the university to cover the losses.
This concern is amplified by the economic realities in the age of COVID-19. On Monday, University of California system president Janet Napolitano announced $1.2 billion in losses system-wide from mid-March through the end of April, adding, “We anticipate these losses will continue to climb in the months ahead.”
But Jarmond has fundraising chops. At Boston College, he launched a $150 million capital fundraising campaign in 2018. The campaign has raised $121 million to date.
He also played a role in on-field classroom success at Boston College. The football team played in a bowl game each season of his tenure while the women’s lacrosse team reached the national championship game in 2018. Boston College ranks eighth among FBS schools with a graduation success rate of 94% in all sports.
Jarmond went to college at North Carolina-Wilmington, where he was a two-time captain on the men’s basketball team. For post-graduate, he went to Ohio University and earned an MBA and a master’s in sports administration.
In 2003, Jarmond was hired as the associate athletic director for development and regional giving at Michigan State. He stayed in East Lansing for six years before leaving for Ohio State, where he served as deputy athletic director until 2017. There, Jarmond served on the College Football Playoff national committee while being the lead administrator for football and men’s basketball.
“UCLA Athletics aligns with my tenacious commitment to developing young men and women to be their very best academically and athletically,” Jarmond said in his statement. “I want to thank Chancellor Block and the members of the selection committee for entrusting me with the challenge of building upon the established excellence of the program.”
He continued, “I will work tirelessly to ensure our student-athletes, alumni and fans remain proud of UCLA Athletics.”
