ESPN senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski has agreed to become the general manager of the men’s basketball program at St. Bonaventure, he told ESPN.
Wojnarowski is a St. Bonaventure alumnus and has a strong relationship with the program, including as a fundraiser for the school’s collective in recent years. He is a 1991 graduate of the western New York school and a distinguished alumnus from the Jandoli School of Communication.
“It is a thrill of a lifetime to be able to return to a university and community that I love in a role of service to our student-athletes, coaches and institution,” Wojnarowski told ESPN. “I am hopeful that I can bring value in a lot of areas to our basketball program and open doors for our young men’s futures in ways both professionally and personally.”
Wojnarowski, 55, has worked at ESPN since 2017. He previously worked at Yahoo Sports and The Record of Bergen County (New Jersey).
“I am retiring from a dream job at ESPN and am so incredibly grateful for my time and experiences with the World Wide Leader,” he said.
The GM role has become more common in college basketball in recent years, as the transfer portal has made wholesale roster turnover an inherent part of the sport. The role includes name, image and likeness allocation, recruiting and supporting successful Bonnies coach Mark Schmidt.
“Woj is the perfect person to fill this new role, combining his intimate knowledge of St. Bonaventure and our Franciscan values with a deep network of relationships he has built across the worlds of professional and intercollegiate basketball,” St. Bonaventure athletic director Bob Beretta said. “The fact that the preeminent journalist in his field is willing to walk away from a lucrative media career to serve his alma mater in a support role is a testament to his love and passion for Bona’s.”