Former Cal A.D. steered growth
Former Cal athletic director John Kasser died Thursday, following a brief hospital stay, at the age of 82. His wife Carol said the cause was heartrelated.
Kasser, who oversaw an expansive period of athletics on the Berkeley campus, served as athletic director from 1994 to 2000. He is credited with fundraising more than $100 million for Cal athletics.
During his tenure, Harmon Gym underwent a $57.5 million transformation into Haas Pavilion and Edwards Track Stadium received a $3 million upgrade. On Kasser’s watch, natural grass was installed at Memorial Stadium, but he left the university during a fundraising campaign to upgrade the football stadium. That upgrade, estimated at $60 million$80 million during Kasser’s term, eventually cost more than $300 million and, along with the construction of a performance center, left the department in dire financial straits.
Cal’s athletic teams had mixed results under Kasser.
He got high marks for replacing football coach Keith Gilbertson with Steve Mariucci for the 1996 season. But when Mariucci left after one season to become head coach of the 49ers, Kasser filled the opening with Tom Holmoe, who had been Mariucci’s defensive coordinator. The football program struggled under Holmoe, going 931 in Pac10 play.
Kasser’s choice of a basketball coach was more successful. He inherited Todd Bozeman, whose transgressions led to an NCAA investigation of Cal for rules violations. After Bozeman’s resignation in 1996, Kasser hired Ben Braun. Braun took Cal to a Sweet 16 berth in his first season and lasted 12 seasons altogether.
On Thursday, Braun tweeted: “John gave so much to so many. @CalAthletics was fortunate to have him & his positive influence over our teams, coaches and community. Spoke w/John a few days ago. He cared deeply about his family and how others were doing. Taught and convinced me that everything was possible!”
Kasser came to Cal after serving as athletic director at both Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara. He left Cal at the end of 2000 to become the marketing director of Pac10 Properties, the entity that was then the licensing and marketing arm of the conference.
Kasser, a former baseball and basketball player at Pepperdine, lived in San Diego with Carol, with whom he would have celebrated 60 years of marriage in June. He is also survived by daughter Karen Kasser, and soninlaw Cam Stephens and two grandchildren. He was predeceased by daughter Sharon Stephens.