Adrian Wojnarowski retiring from ESPN to become the GM of Bona basketball, his alma mater.
OT: Woj bomb!
- Thread starter Eight Legger
- Start date
This is becoming more common - a GM role, which as Woj states in the article, will help with NIL, Recruiting, Transfer portal, and probably anything else head coach needs.
To me - I think it could be a big help with NIL, especially when you get someone with a prominent name like Woj from ESPN. It might be a boost to NIL initially. But it can also help with transfer portal a lot I think. While the current coaches have to focus on the current team and games, Woj can be in the back room - watching other games, other teams and making a list of players that fit their system - so they are prepared when and if they hit the portal, or in the dark underworld of college hoops, they can be targeted for transfer before even hitting the portal.
Will UR ever go down this path?
To me - I think it could be a big help with NIL, especially when you get someone with a prominent name like Woj from ESPN. It might be a boost to NIL initially. But it can also help with transfer portal a lot I think. While the current coaches have to focus on the current team and games, Woj can be in the back room - watching other games, other teams and making a list of players that fit their system - so they are prepared when and if they hit the portal, or in the dark underworld of college hoops, they can be targeted for transfer before even hitting the portal.
Will UR ever go down this path?
8legs1dream
Graduate Assistant
sorry. that all sounds good, but I don't see it. there will be little to no 5th year guys going forward. so no known transfers. he's just going to randomly watch a Siena game, and that'll somehow give them a leg up on Richmond if the Siena star decides to transfer???
He may have been at the top of his game, but that job has to be demanding. Being attached to your phone 24 hours a day and trying to be first with the scoop. He made some money while at ESPN, so he can sit back and be passionate about his alma mater for a while.
No - my point is that in reality, we all know schools are targeting players, and it is likely to increase with these GM roles - players that maybe were not thinking of transferring or they get to them early, before their season even ends.
Using your example - yes, he may be watching a Siena game because they have an all-league player who they identify would be a good fit if they decide to transfer. And maybe, in the dark underworld of college hoops, the GM can now work with the NIL before the current season is over - to get a package not only ready for this kid - who is still playing for Siena, but also communicate to this kid - likely through a donor, NIL sponsor, etc - hey, if you ever think of transferring when the year is over, Bonnies would love to have you and would be willing to pay 300K for you to come there.
As opposed to UR and other schools, who may be looking for kids to hit the portal, when at that point - it might be too late.
We can't seriously believe that all kids that hit the portal - hit it with an open mind. I am willing to bet a large percentage of them, have already been contacted one way or another by some schools, and within is 1-2 days - they have a small list they are interested in speaking with and visiting, etc.
I would think they hired him primarily because they can pitch his vast NBA connections to potential players, all of whom will have that as their end goal. Compare that with other schools' GMs who don't have anywhere near those connections or name recognition. Players may see that as a leg up toward their goals, thus it helps the Bonnies.
He's 55 years old. So I'd expect him to do this for 5 years, max.
I doubt he's going to be scouting Canisius vs Siena in a Monday night MAAC matchup.
He's 55 years old. So I'd expect him to do this for 5 years, max.
I doubt he's going to be scouting Canisius vs Siena in a Monday night MAAC matchup.
Great points Brownstone. Not many as or more connected in the NBA. Great selling point if all things are equal - hey once your done here - our GM can connect with every front office in the NBA and get your name out there. Now, we know everyone that plays college hoops in the US, or probably any hoops player anywhere now are known by the NBA teams. But that extra connection sure can't hurt, and is at very least another selling point for a transfer.
I don't think the dark underworld is nearly as dark as you think.
no kid hitting the portal is going to turn his phone off because he got an early offer. and certainly not for a "dream school" SBU offer even if it's from Woj. would you? say you're lighting it up at Siena and SBU risks everything to illegally contact you early and offer you a $50k NIL deal. do you consider yourself off the market? you're not answering Richmond's call?
I think it's incredibly rare, if ever, to be too late when a kid hits the portal. unless that kid thinks an SBU offer is the best he'll ever get, in which case ... not a huge loss.
I am not saying a kid turns his phone off, but just like when recruiting kids out of HS, it pays to be early. Especially when you know - you might be the underdog. Get a kid early in HS - and start recruiting him, form the relationship - maybe he gives you a shot when the bigger schools start coming in towards the end. This is part of the reason it might be even more important now for schools like UR to over-recruit and make contact with more players, even guys we know we likely won't get. Cause chances are - a good number of them will be in the portal at some point. And maybe having a GM allows you that opportunity - someone to make those phone calls, send those letters, speak to parents and build the relationship. So when the kid goes to a P5 school that loses, of he doesn't play much - your there to call and already know everyone. Its like NBA free agency with no contracts - each year, technically - every kid is available on every team.
Again - I think its a good move by the Bonnies, because like us - they are a mid-major, and they need to turn over every stone they can to get players and kids to come to school there, especially in Olean NY. Will it turn the Bonnies into a top 25 team - of course not. But if Woj can identify or get a 1-2 key players to come there, that could be the difference to make them a top team in the A10 in some years.
I think likely more of a lifestyle change for Woj more than anything. Don't know what the life of an NBA insider reporter is, but assume a lot of travel, and lots of time glued to your computer and cell phone trying to break the next big story. So if he was making 7M per year, maybe he says - don't need the money, and just going to relax now and do something to help his alma mater.
OR - ESPN has been under fire lately and they seem to get rid of people at a wim, maybe he knew something and said - let me get out of here before something big happens.
I also wonder - is this new GM position and you also see "player development" coaches as well - are these new positions just the latest thing in college basketball to spend money on and keep up with the "Jones's". Years ago it was practice facilities - you were behind if you didn't have one, even if you didn't need one - you had to get one because every else was doing it and you have to keep up with your competition. Charter flights was another one, something that is much more common even among mid-majors school like UR. Are these positions just the next item schools will need to have to keep up?
OR - ESPN has been under fire lately and they seem to get rid of people at a wim, maybe he knew something and said - let me get out of here before something big happens.
I also wonder - is this new GM position and you also see "player development" coaches as well - are these new positions just the latest thing in college basketball to spend money on and keep up with the "Jones's". Years ago it was practice facilities - you were behind if you didn't have one, even if you didn't need one - you had to get one because every else was doing it and you have to keep up with your competition. Charter flights was another one, something that is much more common even among mid-majors school like UR. Are these positions just the next item schools will need to have to keep up?
Yep, think this is more of a move to a labor of love. He probably liked or even loved the ESPN gig - but it is a crazy 24/7 world in which he does have to be texting at 1AM to ensure he is beating out Shams and the others for the scoop. This role, he is in control, and he probably can create the role and see fit how he wants to do things. And it will be furthering the SBU hoops program. Have to thing the 24/7 reporting aspect is fun and exciting, but becomes tiresome after a while.
Canisius had players from its 2023-24 team transfer to Minnesota, Duquesne, Hofstra, Cleveland State, among others. Big Ten and A-10 talent. The kid transferring to Minnesota averaged almost 12 rebounds a game. We'd kill for a guy who averaged 2/3 of that.
Maybe he should spend some time watching games like that.
Maybe he should spend some time watching games like that.
agreed - but also remember - not every kid that transfers somewhere ends up playing, especially kids that transfer up in big jumps like that. Big schools have 13 and think soon to be 15 scholarships to give out. So it doesn't hurt them to have a strong core of 4-5 kids and then take a few flyers on kids from lower schools moving up. Something that I think gets lost in the shuffle of the portal. Not every kid that transfers ends up playing at their new school Wish someone would do some stats on that. How many kids transfer, and then have a significant drop in playing time or stats at their new school.
I think in some cases, these Power conference schools grab guys as "break glass in case of emergency" type of guys - with the guys transferring in happy - in some cases - to get the NIL money, and play (if very limited) in a big time conference with all the perks and glamour that come along. I do think if they beat a guy out , the coach in most cases will play the best guy. A guy like Matt Knowling - from Yale (and conneticut) I think we talke to. Went to USC. I would bet he has very small role their - but goes to USC - gets NIL buck, southern Cal, plays at sold out BIG away schools, etc. Likely better opportunity at Richmond to play meaningful minutes.
agree, I think major conf. teams look at these pickups as filler guys to add bench depth for the most part. There are certainly transfer up guys who are looked at as starters/stars, but just saying they have 4 guys going to P4 schools doesn't mean those guys are really capable of contributing much at that level, or that Canisus (or whomever) had a stacked roster.
Case in point are a couple of UR transfers before transfers went insane - ANO went to Pitt and got 8mpg, scoring 1.3 points per game. A couple years later Khwan Fore went from UR to Louisville and got something like 4ppg. They added minor bench depth to those teams, so no one should think those UR teams were stacked bc they had p4 players on them.
Case in point are a couple of UR transfers before transfers went insane - ANO went to Pitt and got 8mpg, scoring 1.3 points per game. A couple years later Khwan Fore went from UR to Louisville and got something like 4ppg. They added minor bench depth to those teams, so no one should think those UR teams were stacked bc they had p4 players on them.
I agree with this - but I think there is also a factor of kids trying to cash in while they can. I mean where else can a kid - who is a good basketball player, likely is a pro overseas somewhere at best - but can now look around while in college and maybe stash away 100-200K.
Imagine not being an athlete, and just being a normal student - but someone wanted to pay you 50K each year to do well in Economics. You graduate, you got some good money in the bank - life is pretty good. And maybe some of these kids, I think especially on the women side - see this as really the only time they will be able to earn money from their sport, so they are cashing in. And I can't fault a 19-21 year old kid for doing so.
I would imagine it is different for every player on why they might go somewhere else. It might not always be for playing time and now with NIL thrown in that is just another factor impacting your decision.
I was not an athlete in college but once I had made my friends in Richmond, I would have never transferred anywhere. You only have 4 years (well 5 for a lot of athletes) in college and then you move onto the real world. The thought of being in 3 or 4 different schools and places during that short period, seems like a chaotic experience to me and never really growing roots or developing deep relationships, not to mention how you would matriculate through a college program academically (but silly me thinking of college as an academic experience). And athletes obviously have to develop bonds with coaches and teammates as well, bonds that should be really deep as well.
Obviously, if you are unhappy with where you are at, than certainly make that change, but a lot of these transfers are to me, just seeing what love you can be shown and if someone is now gonna pay you some more $$$ to go there. I do get the $$$ angle though, it is now a much bigger consideration with NIL and how easy the portal has made transferring. I doubt many of them realize what they may be missing out on by portaling all of the time.
I was not an athlete in college but once I had made my friends in Richmond, I would have never transferred anywhere. You only have 4 years (well 5 for a lot of athletes) in college and then you move onto the real world. The thought of being in 3 or 4 different schools and places during that short period, seems like a chaotic experience to me and never really growing roots or developing deep relationships, not to mention how you would matriculate through a college program academically (but silly me thinking of college as an academic experience). And athletes obviously have to develop bonds with coaches and teammates as well, bonds that should be really deep as well.
Obviously, if you are unhappy with where you are at, than certainly make that change, but a lot of these transfers are to me, just seeing what love you can be shown and if someone is now gonna pay you some more $$$ to go there. I do get the $$$ angle though, it is now a much bigger consideration with NIL and how easy the portal has made transferring. I doubt many of them realize what they may be missing out on by portaling all of the time.
it's a tough decision that I imagine we can't relate to unless we've gone through it.
it's a lot easier and safer to stay where you are. guys don't have an opportunity for more NIL money unless they're transferring up. they had a good year. they have a chance to make, say $100k more somewhere else for example. who knows their financial situation. they may never get paid to play. plus the higher level program may, in theory, enhance their opportities in the future if all goes well.
can't be easy to make that call if you're somewhere you're happy.
it's a lot easier and safer to stay where you are. guys don't have an opportunity for more NIL money unless they're transferring up. they had a good year. they have a chance to make, say $100k more somewhere else for example. who knows their financial situation. they may never get paid to play. plus the higher level program may, in theory, enhance their opportities in the future if all goes well.
can't be easy to make that call if you're somewhere you're happy.
I think transferring is different for athletes. Their team is their family and friends. You immediately have 100+ new "friends" when you transfer to a different football team and immediately have people to hang out with. That's not so for the average Joe, who in many cases doesn't know anyone at his new school.
Matt Knowling was a graduate transfer. I imagine that in the situation of going to a big name program to capitalize on NIL opportunity is more heavily considered for the 1 year grad transfers like Knowling or Burton was for us. I think there are more considerations like playing time, team chemistry when its undergrad transfers with 2-3 years of eligibility left.
What sucks is the guys making 100K are the anomoly but this all has a trickle down effect on almost every player. Think of a guy like Trevor Smith, Marcus Randolph or Isiah Wilson at Richmond. Both may have wanted to stay and we're happy at UR (not saying they were, but just using them as an example) but the portal and the NIL dollars brought in other players who were better than them and so they are then forced to go somewhere else, where they might displace another athlete at that school.
I guess this might have always been the case with athletes but NIL and the portal have just put in steroids. If you are D-1 football or basketball recruit, you almost have to assume that whomever you committed to out of high school, the chances of you staying at that place for 4 years are not great.
This will be interesting to see how it this goes for St. Bonny. He is a big name with a lot of connections. I'm not even sure what the General Manager for the basketball team does. Do we have a general manager?
I guess because of NIL, it makes sense to have a guy who acts in this capacity, signing the guys and contracts that come in through NIL.
The Bona release describes Woj's role fairly well: "a wide range of responsibilities including name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities and as a liaison with collectives; transfer portal management; recruit, family and alumni player relationships; professional player programs; and program fundraising."
We do not have a general manager.
VCU has one that serves both the men's and women's hoops programs. UVA and Tech do not for either hoops or football.
richmond.com
We do not have a general manager.
VCU has one that serves both the men's and women's hoops programs. UVA and Tech do not for either hoops or football.
General managers in Virginia college sports: Woj-to-Bona news sparks interest in position
"It's emblematic of how complicated these jobs have become, and how much you need more hands and resources to be working on these things at all times."
I think Mooney is correct. obviously all the things Woj or any other GM would do are already being done by the HC and assistants. but if you can land a guy like Woj who can do that stuff while not being a real assistant coach, then you do it. so it works for SBU.
And I would contend with Mooney that his current staff is not able to manage all of their duties effectively, otherwise we wouldn't be playing in the Gulf Coast Showcase with a bunch of nobodies and having to scramble to fill our OOC schedule with teams like Maine and Mt. Olive.
But in 2-3 years (or maybe more) are we on the tail end of schools adding it - so we are just adding it to "look" like we care and need it and be relevant or are we simply adding it because by that time - if more than half the schools have one, we just don't want to be left behind.
One name to throw out there - why not give Kevin Eastman a call for this position? See if he can bring some of his NBA assistant coaching and front office ways to UR. Could be a nice little retirement gig for him for a few years.
solid point ... but staffs have and SHOULD be able to manage those duties.
Kind of agree with both of you. The evidence says they will let some slip - like scheduling this year. BUT - it seems like that is one area that they should be really focused on. I think it is entirely possible that the portal blitz did take away from time and conversations with other coaches to get games. It does point for the need for an extra body. I think in general - in recruiting and scheduling - the assistants are the table setters, and HC has to be the closer - in most cases.
The fundraising part of GM role I think will be important. Someone like Woj you'd expect to do that well.
$ remains the most important part of NIL. That's what we have to keep up for sure with mens hoops. not stating as fact but I've heard Queally not being involved with other matters at UR now is actually a good thing for that.
$ remains the most important part of NIL. That's what we have to keep up for sure with mens hoops. not stating as fact but I've heard Queally not being involved with other matters at UR now is actually a good thing for that.
lines have really been blurred. will Woj be in charge of their Collective, or just a liason? I didn't think a school employee is allowed in charge. had to be some separation. but whoever's in charge ... that's probably the 2nd most important job to the HC.
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