Overview

• Shaquille O’Neal has officially taken on the role of unpaid general manager for Sacramento State’s men’s basketball team, focusing on recruitment, marketing, and player development.
• This move follows the hiring of former NBA star Mike Bibby as head coach and the transfer of O’Neal’s son, Shaqir, from Florida A&M to Sacramento State in March.
• Sacramento State is leveraging high-profile leadership to turn around its historically underperforming program, which finished 7-25 last season and has never made an NCAA Tournament appearance.
• The university will open a new on-campus basketball facility this fall, signaling broader efforts to elevate its athletic programs under President Luke Wood’s leadership.
• O’Neal’s appointment aligns with a growing trend of prominent athletes accepting voluntary general manager roles in college sports, similar to Stephen Curry at Davidson and Trae Young at Oklahoma.