STANFORD, Calif. – Former Nike CEO John Donahoe has been hired as athletic director at Stanford.
A person familiar with the decision said Donahoe will become the school’s eighth athletic director and replace Bernard Muir, who stepped down this year. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the hiring hadn’t been announced.
ESPN first reported the move.
Donahoe graduated from Stanford Business School and has worked at companies like Nike, Bain & Company and eBay in his career. He was CEO at Nike from 2020-24.
He takes over one of the countries most successful athletic programs with Stanford having won at least one NCAA title in 49 straight years starting in 1976-77 and a record 137 NCAA team titles overall.
But the Cardinal struggled in the high-profile sports of football and men’s basketball under Muir’s tenure, leading to the decision to hire former Stanford and NFL star Andrew Luck to oversee the football program as its general manager.
The Cardinal are looking to rebound in football after going to three Rose Bowls under former coach David Shaw in Muir’s first four years as AD.
Shaw resigned in 2022 following a second straight 3-9 season and Muir’s hire, Troy Taylor, has posted back-to-back 3-9 seasons.
The men’s basketball program hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since Muir’s second season in 2013-14 under former coach Johnny Dawkins.
Dawkins was fired in 2016 and replaced by Jerod Haase, who failed to make the tournament once in eight years.
Muir hired Kyle Smith last March to take over and the Cardinal went 21-14 for their most wins in 10 years.
Muir also hired Kate Paye as women’s basketball coach last year after Hall of Famer Tara VanDerveer retired. The Cardinal went 16-15 this past season and in missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987.
Muir also oversaw the Cardinal’s transition to the ACC this past year after the school’s long-term home, the Pac-12, broke apart.
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