In shocking news Wednesday morning, NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski announced that he is leaving ESPN after reaching an agreement with St. Bonaventure to become the general manager of the men’s basketball program.
The iconic NBA reporter graduated from St. Bonaventure in 1991 and has maintained a strong relationship with the school over the decades. Wojnarowski, 55, joined ESPN in 2017 after a successful stint at Yahoo Sports.
“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.
“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.”
While Woj’s decision may come as a shock, college basketball’s evolution in recent years has made the move possible. Woj’s role will include NIL allocation and recruiting — as well as working with head 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.”
