Large group of exes UCLA the players sent a letter to the chancellor Julio Frank earlier this month asked the beleaguered athletic director Martin Jarmond will be replaced “to restore the university's commitment to excellence, both on and off the field.”
64 players who represent several eras of UCLA football, from coaches from Bob Toledo to Chip Kelly, including several who went on to play in the NFL, wrote to “express deep concern about the current direction of UCLA athletics under the leadership of Martin Jarmond. Despite the resources, history and opportunities at his disposal, Mr. Jarmond has not demonstrated a level of leadership or vision commensurate with UCLA's proud heritage at UCLA, rather than building on the foundations of greatness laid by those who came before.” His tenure, he said, prevented UCLA from taking its rightful place among the top programs in the country.
“UCLA deserves an athletic director who understands that this role is not just about governance, but about stewarding a legacy of excellence, historical achievement and national leadership. Unfortunately, Mr. Jarmond has not embodied these values and has not positioned UCLA Athletics at the level that its history demands.”
The letter goes on to call on the new leadership, saying they are part of a movement “bigger than any of us. Former players have joined forces – through countless calls, texts and meetings – to move this cause forward. We are united in our commitment to protecting the proud legacy of UCLA football and athletics.”
A UCLA spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Jarmond came under fire after firing coach DeShaun Foster after just 15 games of the athletic director's leadership of the football program. Jarmond's refusal to fire Kelly before Kelly abruptly left in February 2024 to take the offensive coordinator job at Ohio State led to the rushed hiring of Foster, a position coach whose shortcomings as a head coach were on full display as he posted a 5-10 record, including an 0-3 start this season.
Others have since criticized Jarmond for wide range of disadvantagesincluding a lack of response to donor data leaks, lowered expectations of success associated with a once-proud football program and carte blanche spending, resulting in a staggering deficit for the athletic department.
A petition calling for Jarmond's suspension or resignation has garnered 1,462 signatures, and a mobile billboard truck has surrounded Westwood with messages such as “UCLA football deserves better fire, AD Martin Jarmond” and “$7 million buyout for UCLA AD? Failure has never paid off so well.”
Some have questioned why Jarmond was given a contract extension in May 2024, when UCLA was transitioning from outgoing Chancellor Gene Block to Frank. Under the terms of that extension, Jarmond would have to pay approximately $7.1 million, or the full amount of his contract through June 30, 2029, if he is terminated without cause.
Many seem to want him gone before then. Before each of the football team's last two home games at the Rose Bowl, a plane flew over the stadium carrying a banner calling for his firing.
