Adrian Wojnarowski leaves ESPN, named GM at St. Bonaventure

League: NCAA Basketball


Posted on: 18 Sep, 2024 at 03:39 PM

Credit: Anne-Marie Caruso / USA TODAY NETWORK

Senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski dropped his final "Woj bomb" Wednesday morning, announcing that he has moved on from ESPN.

Wojnarowski, 55, agreed to become the general manager of the men's basketball program at St. Bonaventure, his alma mater. He graduated from the western New York school in 1991.

Wojnarowski previously worked at several newspapers -- including The Record of Bergen County (New Jersey) -- as well as Yahoo Sports before joining ESPN in 2017. He signed a contract extension with ESPN in 2022.

"This craft transformed my life, but I've decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry," Wojnarowski wrote in an announcement posted to social media. "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."

Per St. Bonaventure's news release, Wojnarowski will manage 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."

"This move is critical to navigate the new landscape of college basketball in NIL, recruiting and retention," Bonnies coach Mark Schmidt said. "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."

Bonnies athletic director Bob Beretta said Wojnarowski will succeed in his new endeavor.

"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 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."

--Field Level Media