The Los Angeles Lakers organization has undergone a massive overhaul over the last year-plus with multiple ownership changes. One of the big changes was parting ways with long-time senior vice president of business operations Tim Harris with Mark Walter bringing in his L.A. Dodgers executive Lon Rosen to replace him.
Harris had spent more than three decades in the Lakers organization, but new ownership had them going in a different direction. And now the 64-year-old has found his next venture as he will take over as athletic direction at his alma mater UCLA after they fired Martin Jarmond, per Ben Bolch of the California Post:
UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond, whose stewardship of Bruin athletics has come under increasing scrutiny, is being replaced by former Lakers executive Tim Harris in a massive shakeup, the California Post has learned.
Harris will serve as athletic director and CEO of the athletic department on a pro bono basis effective immediately, with UCLA chancellor Julio Frenk announcing the move to the university community Monday afternoon as part of what he described as a “new path forward for UCLA Athletics.”
This is not a permanent role for Harris, but UCLA chancellor Julio Frenk broke down why he is going in that direction for now:
“Simply put, he loves UCLA and cares deeply about our future,” Frenk wrote of Harris, who was the Lakers’ president of business operations during his more than 35 years with the organization. “Tim knows what it takes to grow a world-class sports organization and global brand, and he holds longstanding relationships throughout Los Angeles and globally. He brings decades of experience in creating partnerships and new sources of revenue, along with a personal focus on centering the student-athlete experience. I am especially grateful for Tim’s willingness to serve UCLA on a pro bono basis.
He continued, “Tim will develop a new strategy to grow revenue through partnerships, licensing and other ventures, while ensuring that our student-athletes and coaches have the required support to compete at the highest level.”
Harris has a ton of experience running a big sports business like the Lakers, and now he will be tasked with getting the UCLA athletic department out of its major debt after deciding to move on from Jarmond.
Lon Rosen remains heavily involved with Lakers
Rosen replacing Harris didn’t come as a major surprise as he has a history with the Lakers organization and Magic Johnson, and had recently been running business operations for the Dodgers under Walter.
Now that Walter has decided to sell the team, many questioned what that would mean for Rosen and the other new employees he brought to the organization. According to recent reports though, Rosen remains heavily involved with the Lakers.
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