Soaring to Glory
FanSided

From NIL to roster building, these schools have hired their own GMs

General managers are becoming more common in college athletics, especially in college basketball and football.

By Nick Delahanty

Dec 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels general manager Michael Lombardi during the Bill Belichick hiring announcement at Loudermilk Center for Excellence. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Dec 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels general manager Michael Lombardi during the Bill Belichick hiring announcement at Loudermilk Center for Excellence. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
facebooktwitterreddit

To keep up with the ever changing landscape of college athletics, universities across the country have been hiring general managers to oversee operations for their most profitable sports teams.

Most notably, the implementation of general managers has greatly impacted college football and men's basketball. We've seen quite a few programs tab a general manager to help keep up with the changes, especially with regard to the world of NIL, as it's simply impossible for a coaching staff to manage all the different aspects involved.

Now, there hasn't been one set recipe in what programs are looking for in their respective general managers. In fact, some come with a vast amount of experience in similar roles while others were hired by their schools given their ties to the university as alumni.

From guys who made a name for themself for throwing the football at an elite level to ones who made a name for themself by dropping "Woj Bombs" detailing NBA news, the list of current general managers is extensive and very unique!

It may be hard to track all the general manager hirings in college football and men's basketball that have occurred, but don't worry: we're here to help!

Arkansas- Chris Woolard (Basketball)
Baylor- Jason Smith (Basketball)
Florida- Nick Polk (Football)
George Washington- Cooper Handelsman (Basketball)
Iona- Craig Moore (Basketball)
Missouri- Tim Fuller (Basketball)
Nebraska- Patrick Stewart (Football)
NC State- Andrew Slater (Basketball)
North Carolina- Michael Lombardi (Football) and Jim Tanner (Basketball)
Notre Dame- Mike Martin (Football)
Ohio State- Mark Pantoni (Football)
Oklahoma- Jim Nagy (Football)
Penn State- Scott Pera (Basketball)
Sacramento State- Shaquille O'Neal (Basketball)
Stanford- Andrew Luck (Football)
St. Bonaventure- Adrian Wojnarowski (Basketball)
Syracuse- Alex Kline (Basketball)
Texas Tech- James Blanchard (Football) and Kellen Buffington (Basketball)
UConn- Tom Moore (Basketball)
USC- Chad Bowden (Football)
Wake Forest- Rob Schlaeger (Football) and Mike Muse (Basketball)

Given the current trends, it's safe to say that this list will expand (and change) over time!

feed

Home/Front Office