Adrian Wojnarowski talks directly to NBA fans. His reports instantly appear on countless smartphones, followed by jaws on floors. Today, though, eyes didn’t pop because Mikal Bridges got traded to the Knicks, or because Dan Hurley was offered the Lakers head coaching job.
In his last “Woj bomb” as ESPN’s Senior NBA Insider, Wojnarowski announced his retirement from the news industry. He acknowledged his childhood dream of making a living as a sportswriter. A task he accomplished tenfold, changing the trajectory of modern day basketball coverage and inspiring countless young journalists, including myself.
Throughout his career, his passion for his alma mater of St. Bonaventure remained. Most recently, he served as a board member for Team Unfurl, which is the name, image and likeness (NIL) collective that supports the Bonnies men’s basketball program. He and his wife, Amy, also a St. Bonaventure alum, were major benefactors to the basketball program and SBU’s Jandoli School of Communication.
Now, Wojnarowski returns as general manager for the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball program, stepping away as basketball’s premiere news breaker to do so.
“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 St. Bonaventure news release. “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.”
Wojnarowski worked as ESPN’s senior NBA insider since 2017 after 10 years with Yahoo Sports, 10 years at The Record of New Jersey and previous stops at the Fresno Bee and Waterbury Republican-American.
Wojnarowski’s departure sent shockwaves through the sports world, with many colleagues, subjects, mentees and readers sharing support and anecdotes of their interactions.
ESPN’s senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reacted to the news on SportsCenter: “It makes me really sad to be perfectly frank. It makes me emotional to talk about Woj not being a part of our network and our company. On the other hand, I am so happy for him doing exactly what it is that he wants to do. He is looking for a job that is more gratifying, more fulfilling, and he loves his school and he loves the St. Bonaventure basketball program. He’s going to do unbelievable things for that school, but I will miss him as a friend. I’ll miss the heads up that he’s working on a big trade and we get to talk about how to handle a certain story. I love him as a reporter, I love him as a friend. He’s the best basketball reporter who ever was.”
Schefter, alongside ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan and senior college football writer Pete Thamel, reported the news that Wojnarowski was heading back to SBU as the men’s basketball program’s general manager.
According to the school, Wojnarowski will serve the coaching staff in managing NIL opportunities and as a liaison with collectives, transfer portal management, recruiting, family and alumni player relationships, professional plater programs and fundraising, amongst other responsibilities.
Schmidt called the hire of Wojnarowski to his staff a “home run,” which many others shared the same sentiment across social media Wednesday.
On a personal level, as a recent St. Bonaventure graduate, Wojnarowski continues to serve as an inspiration as he walks away from the mountaintop of sports journalism. Frankly, I’m not sure that I would’ve found my way to Bona’s if it weren’t for him.
I hoped for an opportunity to connect with Woj at some point through my coursework. He was generous enough to speak to numerous classes and often remembered students he’d seen before. He took the time to respond to thank you emails. When I raised my hand to ask a question over Zoom, Woj interrupted me to say he remembered me and that I was doing a “great job,” which was a highlight I never could’ve expected as I filled out St. Bonaventure’s application years earlier.
This story isn’t about me, but the sheer volume of similar anecdotes and inspiration shared today speaks to Wojnarowski’s character and impact he leaves following his illustrious news career.
Now, he gets to put his all into his family and the Bonaventure program which he loves so dearly. As he said when he announced his retirement from ESPN on X (formerly Twitter) this morning, “time isn’t in endless supply and I want to spend mine in ways that are more personally meaningful.”
St. Bonaventure has planned a press conference to welcome back Amy and Adrian for September 25 at 4 p.m. ET, which the community is welcome to attend.
Featured Image Courtesy of St. Bonaventure University
Posted In: Atlantic 10 Men’s Hoops