Mike Bohn Resigns as USC Athletic Director
Mike Bohn has resigned from his position as USC Athletic Director, ending a short but monumentally impactful tenure as the athletics leader of the Trojans.
Ryan Kartje of the LA Times was first with the story. USC President Carol Folt announced in a letter to the USC community that she has accepted Mike Bohn’s resignation as director of athletics, effective today.
In a statement to the Times, Bohn closed with: “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.”
Bohn officially became the USC Athletic Director on Nov. 7, 2019, coming over from Cincinnati. He walked into some tremendous challenges with a floundering football program and the almost immediate challenge of the Covid pandemic.
He formed a close bond with the student-athletes at USC. Bohn said early and often that he wanted to create the most student-athlete-centered program in the country. And he succeeded on virtually every front.
But what he’ll be most remembered for the Trojan fans are his coaching hires.
Bohn landed arguably the biggest football hire in program history when he was able to lure Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma. He also seems to have hit homeruns with two other important hires for the Trojans in women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb and baseball coach Andy Stankiewicz.
Bohn also ushered the USC athletics program through the monumental transition of joining the Big Ten Conference. The Trojans will make the move from the Pac-12 in 2024. And while Bohn won’t be in his same role to fully oversee the change, it’s clear he understands the impact it will have.
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Again, from is statement to the L.A. Times:
“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.”
Folt Announces Next Steps
In Folt’s letter, she outlined what will take place next and how she views the status of the athletic department:
“We will be announcing a transition team comprising both internal and external leaders in the coming days and will launch a national search for a new director of athletics shortly.
Over the last four years, the USC athletics department has transformed into a national powerhouse. In our singular pursuit of excellence, I am committed to ensuring we have the right leadership in place to achieve our goals. As part of that commitment and as we prepare to move to the Big Ten, we conducted a thorough review of the athletics department, including its operations, culture, and strategy. Having built a strong foundation over the last few years, now is the time for new direction grounded in our values and in expertise needed to fulfill our aspirational vision for Trojan athletics.”
