Former Weber State great Damian Lillard is officially taking on a more active role in building the Wildcats men’s basketball program.
On Saturday, the school announced that the nine-time NBA All-Star guard will be the program’s general manager, in addition to continuing his now 13-year pro career, where he’ll be a “key advisor and mentor” to the Weber State team.
“Success doesn’t come overnight, especially in today’s ever-changing basketball landscape,” Lillard said in a news release. “College athletics is constantly evolving, and building a strong program requires time, trust, and commitment.
“I believe in what this program represents and the culture that continues to grow at Weber State. The support of our community is vital to the program’s success, and I am committed to playing a greater role in that effort. This opportunity allows me to be even more involved in shaping the future of Weber State basketball.”
What will Damian Lillard do as Weber State’s basketball general manager?
In a news release, the school indicated that Lillard, in his new role, “will work closely with the coaching staff and athletic department leadership to provide insight, mentorship and guidance, using his experience at the collegiate and professional levels to elevate the program.”
Weber State fourth-year coach Eric Duft said that Lillard has already been active in the recruiting process for the Wildcats, according to the Standard Examiner’s Brett Hein.
“We want to bring in the best players we can and, even though he wasn’t officially the GM during this recruiting process in the spring, the guys we were actively recruiting, we were sending him clips, he was sending us guys, so it started there,” Duft said during a press conference Saturday, Hein reported. “With every program, player acquisition, good players is a premium. So that was the first thing.”
What does a college basketball general manager do?
The general manager role at the collegiate level is relatively new and is tied largely to the name, image and likeness (NIL) realm that has become such a dominant aspect of college sports.
In essence, the position is primarily in charge of recruiting and roster management, as Front Office Sports explained, during an era where the recently passed House vs. NCAA settlement allowed schools to now pay student-athletes directly.
“In the basketball world, two different types of GMs have emerged: the ‘ceremonious’ GM, usually a voluntary role taken on by a big-name NBA player to entice recruits; and the full-time GM, an athletic department employee with less notoriety,” Front Office Sports’ Amanda Christovich and Alex Schiffer wrote in June.
“Some schools have doubled down, having both an assistant and full-time GM — and the position is evolving with each hire.”
Another Utah Division I institution, the University of Utah, made news earlier this year when first-year head coach Alex Jensen dug into his deep NBA ties and hired Wes Wilcox as the Runnin’ Utes’ general manager.
Wilcox had previously served as the Sacramento Kings’ assistant general manager, and he became the highest sitting NBA front office member to accept a college front office job.
Wes Wilcox, men’s basketball general manager of the Utah Utes, speaks to members of the media at an informal gathering at the university in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Wilcox had also been the Atlanta Hawks’ general manager and assistant GM earlier in his career.
“I understand how important this position is moving forward not only in the college athletics landscape but also for the future of Runnin’ Utes basketball,” Wilcox said in a school press release at the time. “I’m excited to hit the ground running right away to help bring Utah basketball back to national prominence and will work tirelessly to help make that happen.”
Wilcox told Front Office Sports that, among his responsibilities at Utah, he is tasked with “player evaluation, roster construction, market analysis of how much money the program has and how it will be used, and negotiation strategy and execution,” skills that were a part of his job at the NBA level.
These kinds of roles aren’t exclusively a college basketball thing, either. Former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck has returned to the university to serve as the Cardinal’s football GM.
Lillard’s role is likely to be more like the ceremonious GM that Front Office Sports described — an active NBA player who’s there to advise the program and assist in recruiting.
There are several examples of these ceremonious GMs.
In March, another high-profile NBA player, Golden State’s Steph Curry, was named assistant GM at his alma mater, Davidson.
Former Oklahoma star Trae Young, now an All-Star guard with the Atlanta Hawks, has become an assistant GM for the Sooners.
Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, meanwhile, is serving as an assistant GM at Sacramento State. O’Neal played collegiately at LSU, though his son Shaqir transferred this offseason to play for the Hornets under former Kings star Mike Bibby.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) gestures after a three-point basket against the Indiana Pacers during the second half of a first-round NBA basketball playoff game in Indianapolis, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. | Michael Conroy, AP