Adrian Wojnarowski named general manager of St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team

Adrian Wojnarowski is retiring from broadcasting and returning to his alma mater, St. Bonaventure, to take over the newly created position of general manager of the men’s basketball program, the Atlantic 10 school announced.

Wojnarowski will oversee a wide range of responsibilities while working with coach Mark Schmidt and his staff. His duties include focusing on name, image and likeness opportunities, transfer portal management, recruiting and alumni player relations.

“I am excited and humbled to return to St. Bonaventure with the opportunity to serve the university,” Wojnarowski said in a statement released by the school in Allegany, New York. “I hope to share with members of our community some of the best practices I’ve learned from the NBA’s most successful franchises and minds, and I am committed to opening doors for our players worldwide, both on and off the court.”

Wojnarowski graduated from St. Bonaventure in 1991 with a degree in journalism and received an honorary doctorate from the school in 2022. The 55-year-old has been with ESPN since 2017 and made the decision to retire while he was still under a contract he signed with the network in 2022.

Wojnarowski, who previously worked at Yahoo Sports and The Record of New Jersey, was twice named APSE Columnist of the Year and was named National Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association for three years (2017-2019).

Schmidt described Wojnarowski’s addition to his staff as a “home run,” adding, “This move is critical to navigating the new landscape of college basketball in the NIL, recruiting and retention.”

St. Bonaventure is located amid the Allegany Mountains in the southwestern corner of New York, approximately a 90-minute drive south of Buffalo.

The Catholic school, with an enrollment of about 2,000 students, is trying to capitalize on Wojnarowski’s name recognition as he follows other programs that created the GM role in the NIL era. He is best known for breaking NBA news with what became known as “Woj Bombs” on social media.

“While we will miss his daily output, we completely understand his decision to make a lifestyle change and slow down a bit,” Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “We know he will continue to thrive in this next chapter and he has our collective gratitude and support.”

Bob Beretta, vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics at St. Bonaventure, called Wojnarowski’s arrival an “incredible opportunity” for the school to tap into his many basketball connections.

“At a time of tremendous turbulence within the intercollegiate athletics enterprise, we are making a strong statement that St. Bonaventure continues to lead the way in change,” Beretta said. “The fact that the preeminent journalist in his field is willing to step away from a lucrative media career to serve his alma mater in a supporting role is a testament to his love and passion for Bona.”