Reports: USC athletic director Mike Bohn resigns

USC athletic director Mike Bohn has resigned, according to multiple reports. The Los Angeles Times’ Ryan Kartje was the first to report the news.

USC athletics confirmed Bohn’s decision with an email from university president Carol Folt.

“Dear Trojan community, I am writing to let you know that I have accepted Mike Bohn’s resignation as director of athletics, effective today,” the email read, in part. “On behalf of the Trojan Family, I thanks Mike for his contributions to our athletics department during a time of rapid transformation and growth. We will be announcing a transition team comprising [of] both internal and external leaders in the coming days and will launch a national search for a new director of athletics shortly.”

Bohn also sent a statement to The Los Angeles Times about his decision.

“After more than 40 years of college athletics leadership, it is the right time to step away from my position as Director of Athletics at the University of Southern California,” Bohn said. “I have dedicated my life to serving student-athletes and advancing the enterprise of intercollegiate athletics. I will always be proud of leading the program out of the most tumultuous times in the history of the profession and at USC with a restored reputation and national milestone accomplishments. I led the process to join the Big 10 Conference, hired marquee Head Coaches, produced the highest graduation rate in school history and won numerous national and conference championships.

“As a former student-athlete myself, my purpose and identity are rooted in supporting young people as they pursue their athletic, academic, and personal goals. I have been fortunate to have had so many wonderful opportunities and met so many terrific people, and I depart wishing the very best to all with whom I worked and served. In moving on, it is important now that I focus on being present with my treasured family, addressing ongoing health challenges, and reflecting on how I can be impactful in the future.”

More on Mike Bohn’s career, the state of athletics at USC

Bohn worked at Idaho, San Diego State, Colorado and Cincinnati during his career before arriving at USC in 2019. His decision to step down comes just over a year before the Trojans are set to join the Big Ten, opting to leave the Pac-12 along with UCLA.

One of Bohn’s biggest hires was last year when he brought in Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to replace Clay Helton. Riley saw immediate success with the Trojans, turning Caleb Williams into a Heisman Trophy winner and getting the program in the conversation for the College Football Playoff before a Pac-12 Championship loss to Utah.

On the basketball side, USC recently landed a commitment from Bronny James — the son of LeBron James and one of the highest-profile recruits in the nation. James is a four-star recruit, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, but On3 rates him as a five-star, which is higher than other services.

He joins a recruiting class headlined by Isaiah Collier, who’s the No. 1 player in the nation from the 2023 cycle, per the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighed average that utilizes all four major recruiting companies.

USC is also a big player in the NIL space with three operating NIL Collectives. A fourth, BLVD LLC, stopped day-to-day operations in February after it became the first step toward becoming a major player in the landscape.

House of Victory is one of the biggest USC-focused collectives and merged with the 3400 Club earlier this month. It has struck a deal with Boogie Ellis and recently announced a partnership with Baker Tilly.