USC athletic director Mike Bohn has resigned amid troubling allegations and an investigation into workplace culture

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University of Southern California athletic director Mike Bohn abruptly resigned on Thursday nearly four years after being hired. Now, new details are emerging regarding the potential reasons for Bohn’s departure.

Bohnn, 62, began his administrative career in 1984 with the Air Force. He rose through the management ranks, first becoming athletic director at Idaho (1998-2003), followed by stints at San Diego State (2003-05), Colorado (2005-13) and Cincinnati (2014-19).

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Following the resignation of USC athletic director Lynn Swann in 2019, Bohn was hired away from Cincinnati. During his tenure as athletic director of the Trojans, he oversaw the hiring of head coach Lincoln Riley and was instrumental in transferring the programs to the Big Ten.

Now, less than a year after USC and UCLA announced they would become full members of the Big Ten in 2024, Bohn has stepped down as athletic director of the Trojans.

Bohn’s resignation came a day after the Los Angeles Times asked him about internal criticism of his management style within the athletic department. He was accused of making inappropriate comments towards a female colleague, with specific remarks about her dress, weight and hair.

Multiple USC sources who spoke with The Times’ Ryan Kartje said several staffers confronted Bohn about his comments toward the employee. Although her colleagues criticized her for using language that could be described as sexual harassment, Bohn reportedly continued to engage in this behavior.

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Bohn also faced accusations from half a dozen USC officials who raised concerns with the athletic department about his management style. According to Trojans staffers who spoke to The Times, Bohn was described as a poor manager who skipped meetings he was supposed to attend and failed to appear for major events on the USC schedule.

Additionally, two former Trojans coaches told The Times that Bohn’s poor leadership in the athletic department and the lack of direction with which he coached were major influences on their decisions to leave.

USC hired Gina Maisto Smith, a Philadelphia-based attorney, to conduct a review of the allegations. Meanwhile, four current and former USC employees have raised concerns with the law firm about Bohn’s behavior and comments.

For the moment, the Trojans have not appointed an interim sporting director.

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