Shaquille O’Neal’s Surprising New Role at Sacramento State Raises Big Questions—What’s Next for the Team?

When you hear the name Shaquille O’Neal, thoughts instantly jump to NBA dominance, championship rings, and larger-than-life personality. Now, Shaq is stepping into a whole new arena—not on the hardwood, but in college hoops management. The Sacramento State men’s basketball program just got a serious boost, with Shaquille agreeing to take on the role of general manager alongside rookie head coach Mike Bibby. That’s right—Shaq’s not just backing his son, Shaqir, who recently transferred to the Hornets; he’s jumping right into the fray to help revamp a program that’s struggled mightily over the years. It’s a bold move for a basketball icon known equally for his skills on the court and his savvy off it. And honestly, it feels like the start of something pretty exciting for Sacramento State — a program desperate for fresh energy and star power to rise up in Division I hoops. Curious about how this all came together, and what it means for the Hornets moving forward? LEARN MORE

O’Neal is the latest high-profile athlete to take on a general manager role at a college program. Stephen Curry was recently announced as the assistant general manager at Davidson and Trae Young has that same role at Oklahoma.ESPN first reported the news.O’Neal won four NBA titles, three NBA Finals MVPs and a league MVP during his 19-year career in the NBA. He is currently an analyst on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” show. He also served as a minority owner of the Sacramento Kings from 2013-22.Sacramento State went 7-25 this season under interim coach Michael Czepil, who was promoted last spring after David Patrick left to take a job as associate head coach at LSU.Bibby, the former NBA star for the Sacramento Kings, was hired as head coach for the Hornets last month as the school tries to raise its profile in collegiate athletics.

Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal has agreed to become the general manager of the men’s basketball program at Sacramento State under new coach Mike Bibby.One of the first additions Bibby made was signing Shaqir O’Neal as a transfer from Florida A&M. Now Bibby has O’Neal’s father involved in the program.A person familiar with the situation said Monday that O’Neal will take the voluntary job for the program that his son, Shaqir, recently joined as a player. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the school hadn’t made an announcement.The Hornets had gone 28-42 in two seasons under Patrick and the program has never made an NCAA Tournament since moving up to Division I in 1991-92. The Hornets have had a winning record only twice since then, going 16-14 in 2019-20 and 21-12 in 2014-15.