Wojnarowski, Class of '91, Steps Down From ESPN to Become General Manager of Bonnies Basketball Team

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — Adrian Wojnarowski, Senior NBA Insider for ESPN, is retiring from his award-winning journalism profession and returning to his alma mater as common supervisor for the St. Bonaventure males's basketball program.

“I'm thrilled and humbled to return to St. Bonaventure with an opportunity to serve the university, Coach Mark Schmidt and our elite Atlantic 10 men's basketball program,” Wojnarowski stated. “In these changing times of college sports, I'm eager to join a championship program that combines high-level basketball, national television exposure, pro preparation and NIL opportunities with an intimate, supportive educational environment.”

In his position as common supervisor, Wojnarowski will serve the teaching workers in managing a variety of duties together with identify, picture and likeness (NIL) alternatives and as a liaison with collectives; switch portal administration; recruit, household and alumni participant relationships; skilled participant applications; and program fundraising.

Recognizing the quickly evolving panorama of faculty athletics, many energy convention and mid-major colleges have added the position of common supervisor since 2022, particularly for his or her soccer and males's basketball applications.

“I'm hopeful to share with members of our community some best practices learned from the most successful franchises and minds in the NBA and committed to opening doors globally for our players both on and off the court,” Wojnarowski stated.

Bob Beretta, vice chairman and director of Intercollegiate Athletics, stated Wojnarowski's resolution is an “incredible opportunity” for the college, its athletic division and the lads's basketball program.

“At a time of tremendous turbulence within the intercollegiate athletics enterprise, we are making a strong statement that St. Bonaventure continues to be on the forefront of change,” Beretta stated. “This a bold move that aligns with our institutional goals to continue to grow and flourish.”

Wojnarowski's world community of connections within the basketball world will probably be a useful asset for this system, Beretta stated.

“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,” Beretta stated. “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.”

Schmidt referred to as the choice to add Wojnarowski to his workers a “home run.”

“This move is critical to navigate the new landscape of college basketball in NIL, recruiting and retention,” stated Schmidt, the winningest males's basketball coach at school historical past. “Woj is as connected as anyone in the basketball world and his decades-long network of relationships can only help our program remain among the top teams in the Atlantic 10 going forward.”

In strolling away from a profitable contract extension he signed with ESPN in 2022, Wojnarowski now desires to give again to a college that has made an indelible impression on his life. He and his spouse, Amy, '92, have been main benefactors to the basketball program and the Jandoli School of Communication.

“I'm grateful to President (Jeff) Gingerich, Bob Beretta, Coach Schmidt and the entire St. Bonaventure community for welcoming my wife, Amy, and me back into the campus community in a new role,” Wojnarowski stated. “We met on this beautiful campus as undergraduates and have shared a lifelong love with the university that continues now. I'm ready to get to work.”

Wojnarowski, Class of 1991, introduced his retirement from ESPN on X (previously Twitter) this morning.

“This craft transformed my life, but I've decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry,” Wojnarowski wrote. “I understand the commitment required in my role and it's an investment that I'm no longer driven to make. Time isn't in endless supply and I want to spend mine in ways that are more personally meaningful.”

Prior to his work for ESPN, the place he is been since 2017, Wojnarowski labored for Yahoo Sports, the place he spent almost 10 years, together with two as editor of The Vertical. His standout profession in journalism consists of almost 10 years at The Record of New Jersey (the place he was twice named the APSE Columnist of the Year), in addition to a number of years every on the Fresno Bee and Waterbury (Conn.) Republican-American.

Wojnarowski's friends voted him the National Sports Media Association's National Sportswriter of the Year in 2017, 2018 and 2019. He joined a distinguished record of greats to have gained that award in not less than three successive years – Red Smith, Jim Murray, Frank Deford, Rick Reilly, Bob Ryan and Tom Verducci.

Wojnarowski is the New York Times bestselling writer of “The Miracle of St. Anthony: A Season with Coach Bob Hurley and Basketball's Most Improbable Dynasty.”

The college's Commencement speaker and recipient of an honorary diploma in 2022, Wojnarowski was named the Jandoli School's 2019 Alumnus of the Year, and has been inducted onto the Jandoli School's Wall of Distinguished Graduates.

A press convention to welcome Amy and Adrian again to the Bonaventure neighborhood will probably be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, within the Quick Center for the Arts theater. The campus neighborhood is welcome to attend.

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About the University: The nation's first Franciscan college, St. Bonaventure University is a neighborhood dedicated to remodeling the lives of our college students inside and outdoors the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong dedication to service and citizenship. Out of 167 regional universities within the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #6 for worth and #14 for innovation by U.S. News and World Report (2024).