USC AD Mike Bohn resigns; A planned Big Ten jump at the school helped

USC athletic director Mike Boone resigned, nearly 3 1/2 years after succeeding Lynn Swan at the high profile job.

The school confirmed the 62-year-old’s resignation on Friday.

The Trojans’ athletic department experienced a surge of success during Boone’s tenure, headlined by USC’s lucrative decision to move to the Big Ten in 2024 along with longtime rival UCLA.

Long-struggling USC’s football team made an exciting one-year return to national title contention following the hiring of head coach Lincoln Riley last year, while the men’s basketball team made three straight NCAA tournament appearances under Andy Enfield.

In a letter to alumni and the school, USC President Carol Volt thanked Boone for his service “during a period of rapid transformation and growth.”

“Over the past four years, USC’s athletics department has transformed into a national powerhouse,” Volt wrote. “In our unique pursuit of excellence, I am committed to ensuring that we have the appropriate leadership to achieve our goals. As part of that commitment and as we prepare for the transition to the Big Ten, we have conducted a comprehensive review of the athletics department, including its operations, culture and strategy. Having built a strong foundation over the past few years The time has come for a new direction based on our values ​​and the expertise needed to realize our ambitious vision of athletics at Troy.”

Boone cited “ongoing health challenges” in a statement to the Los Angeles Times about his resignation, but did not provide a clear reason for the sudden move.

“After more than 40 years of leading college athletics, it’s an opportune time to step away from my position as USC’s director of athletics,” Boone said. “I have dedicated my life to serving student-athletes and advancing intercollegiate athletics projects. I will always be proud to have led the program out of the most turbulent times in the history of the profession and at USC with a restored reputation and national achievement.”

Boone is the former athletic director at Idaho, San Diego State, Colorado, and Cincinnati. He left the Bearcats to take over a USC division that had struggled through years of scandal and NCAA sanctions while leading a string of former football players with little management experience.

The veteran manager seemed to put the Trojans back on the road to success. Along with the progress of the men’s basketball and soccer teams, Boehn hired expert coach Lindsey Gottlieb away from the Cleveland Cavaliers to lead the women’s basketball team, which improved by nine wins and made the NCAA tournament this spring for its second season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.