2024-09-19 20:00:02
LOS ANGELES — The person who broke so much NBA news that his scoops earned a pithy nickname announced on X on Tuesday that he is leaving ESPN and retiring from sports journalism to become general manager of the men’s basketball program at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure University.
Adrian Wojnarowski, known simply as Woj, littered the hoops landscape with “Woj bombs,” breaking news that he reported first, accurately and with context.
Wojnarowski, 55, was hired by ESPN in 2017 after emerging as a must-read news hound and columnist at Yahoo Sports in 2007. He previously worked at the Record of Bergen County, N.J.
According to the Athletic, Wojnarowski makes about $7 million a year at ESPN and has three years left on his contract, meaning he is leaving about $20 million on the table. The average salary for a general manager at a Division 1 university is between $130,020 and $172,958, according to Salaries.com.
A successor to Wojnarowski has not been named, although Shams Charania and Chris Haynes are the most obvious choices.
Charania, 30, broke into the business at Yahoo Sports under Wojnarowski, and his contracts with the Athletic, Stadium and FanDuel expire soon. Haynes, 42, has left TNT, whose parent company Warner Bros. Discovery is in litigation with the NBA. ESPN stalwart Pat McAfee said on the air Wednesday that Charania should be the front-runner.
Wojnarowski’s last Woj bomb was about himself.
“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 said in a news release from the school. “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.”
The role of a general manager at university athletics programs has become increasingly important in the era of name, image and likeness opportunities. In addition to fundraising and assisting with alumni relations, Wojnarowski will work with NIL collectives and help manage the transfer portal.
Wojnarowski is a St. Bonaventure alumnus (class of 1991) and has maintained a strong relationship with the basketball program and Jandoli School of Communication. He and his wife, Amy, met as St. Bonaventure undergraduates.
“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 said.
Bob Beretta, St. Bonaventure vice president and director of Intercollegiate Athletics, welcomed Wojnarowski with open arms.
“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 said in a statement. “This is a bold move that aligns with our institutional goals to continue to grow and flourish.”
St. Bonaventure has qualified for the NCAA Tournament three times since 2012 and last season went 20-13.
Wojnarowski worked at Yahoo Sports from 2007 to 2015, beginning as an NBA columnist until eventually helping launch Yahoo’s standalone NBA site, the Vertical, and serving as its editor.
“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.”
Jimmy Pitaro, chairman at ESPN, said on X that Wojnarowski’s “work ethic is second to none. He is extraordinarily talented and fearless. He has led the industry at ESPN, and his dedication to the craft and to fans is legendary.
“While we will miss his daily output, we completely understand his decision to make a lifestyle change and slow down a bit. We know he will continue to thrive in this next chapter, and he has our collective gratitude and support.”
The NBA issued a statement that ended with a playful nod to Wojnarowski’s multitude of sources within the league.
“The NBA family congratulates Woj on a well-earned next chapter,” the NBA said on X. “He’s been an integral part of our league for decades and we wish him all the best in his new venture.
“Sources close to the situation say that his future is bright.”
