LOS ANGELES – Former University of California, Los Angeles athletic director Peter Dalis, who guided the department for 19 years with unprecedented success, died Saturday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 76.
The cause was complications from multiple myeloma, according to a statement issued by the UCLA Athletic Department.
The Bruins won 39 NCAA championships during his tenure, which began in 1983. But Dalis’ legacy goes beyond wins and losses, said former UCLA football coach Terry Donahue.
“No one ever did the job with more integrity than Pete Dalis,” said Donahue, who spent 28 years at the university as a head coach, assistant coach and player. “Pete never put the athletics department ahead of the university. He would make that perfectly clear, whether you liked or didn’t like it.
“Whatever decision had to be made, it had to be made in the best interest of the university.”