Jenny Simon-O'Neill is the Co-Director of Athletics at Cal. Simon-O'Neill and Jay Larson – who serves alongside Simon-O'Neill as Co-Director of Athletics – formally transitioned into the positions on July 2, 2025.
UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons appointed Simon-O'Neill and Larson to their new roles through the 2025-26 academic year under a new, innovative leadership structure.
Simon-O’Neill brings over 16 years of dedicated service and leadership to Cal Athletics, previously serving as Deputy Athletics Director, Chief of Staff, and Senior Woman Administrator. In her multifaceted role, she played a key leadership role on the department’s Executive Team and Director’s Cabinet, helping to guide strategic decisions and manage day-to-day operations for one of the nation’s largest athletics programs - 30 varsity sports, 900+ student-athletes, and more than 300 staff members.
As Chief of Staff, Simon-O’Neill operationalized the Athletic Director’s vision across all units and ensured seamless coordination within the department. She oversaw gender equity and Title IX compliance, as well as strategic and athletic communications. Her work helped shape a department-wide culture focused on integrity, inclusion, and student-athlete well-being.
Simon-O’Neill served as the sport administrator for men’s basketball, women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s rowing, and has directly overseen 17 of Cal’s 30 sports during her tenure. She has helped lead programs to five national team championships and numerous individual titles in swimming, rowing, and other Olympic sports. In men’s basketball, she collaborated closely with the Athletic Director to align resources, budget, academics, and staffing with a strategic vision for program excellence.
Previously Cal’s Director of Olympic Sports Operations (2008–12), Simon-O'Neill rose rapidly through leadership ranks, becoming the Senior Woman Administrator in 2014, Chief of Staff in 2019, and Deputy Athletics Director in 2024. She has led initiatives across nearly every facet of the department - from student-athlete development and youth camps to capital projects, strategic planning, crisis communications, and human resources.
Simon-O’Neill has served on multiple head coach search committees, including for football, men’s and women’s basketball, softball, golf, soccer, and track & field. She was instrumental in hiring women’s basketball head coach Charmin Smith (2019) and played an active role in the hiring of Mark Madsen to lead the men’s basketball program.
An award-winning leader, she received the 2021 Excellence in Management Award from UC Berkeley for her outstanding work during challenging times, recognized for her resilience, inclusivity, and commitment to morale and work-life balance.
Her strategic leadership has been pivotal in preparing Cal for the post-House v. NCAA era. Simon-O’Neill has worked closely with fellow department leaders and University leadership to design a roadmap around revenue sharing, scholarship strategy, and long-term financial planning, helping to position Cal for success amid the changing collegiate athletics landscape.
Simon-O’Neill’s influence extends beyond Cal’s campus. She is an active member of the ACC Senior Woman Administrator group. She also served as a member of the Pac-12 Council (2014–2024), serves on the MPSF Administrative Board — where she is currently Co-Chair — and was a member and Chair (2021–22) of the NCAA Division I Women’s Rowing Committee. She also served on the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Board of Stewards (2012–2018).
On the campus leadership team, Simon O’Neill is a member of the Associate Cabinet, ex-officio member of the Faculty Athletic Council, and Co-Chair of the Gender Equity & Diversity Subcommittee (GEDS) of the University Athletics Board. She also played a major role on the 2014 Chancellor’s Task Force on Athletics and Academics, helping reverse historically low graduation rates in football and men’s basketball. A decade later, Cal now celebrates the highest graduation success rates in school history.
Capital projects under Simon-O'Neill's leadership include a $3.1 million renovation of the Hellman Tennis Complex and a $7.5 million upgrade to the Underhill Field Hockey facility. She also played a critical role in securing a lucrative apparel agreement with Under Armour in 2017.
A Berkeley native, Simon-O’Neill grew up on the UC Berkeley campus — her late father, Leo Simon, was a longtime faculty member in Economics and Agricultural Economics. Simon-O'Neill earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and sociology from Mount Holyoke College in 2002, where she was a student-athlete in women’s rowing, and later earned her MBA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2009. Prior to Cal, she served as Associate Athletic Director at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, where she also coached a team inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame.
Simon-O’Neill lives in Berkeley with her wife, Colleen, and their sons, Theodore and Andrew. She is an avid skier, classical music enthusiast, and enjoys her family’s annual trip to Lair of the Golden Bear.
Professional Development & Recognition
- LEAD1 Diversity Fellowship Program (2022–2023)
- LEAD1 Institute (2016)
- Sports Management Institute (2013)
- NACWAA/HERS Leadership Enhancement Institute (2007)
- NACWAA/HERS Institute for Administrative Advancement (2004)
Additional Distinctions
- Contributor for CalBears.com at the 2012 London Olympics
- USRowing Referee, including Chief Referee at 2009 and 2010 USRowing Youth Nationals and official at USRowing World Championship/Olympic Trials.
Updated: July 2, 2025
