Stephen Curry, guard for the Golden State Warriors, will take on the role of assistant general manager for Davidson College’s basketball teams. The four-time NBA champion and two-time MVP will become the first active player in major U.S. professional sports to hold an administrative position with a college team, while continuing his career with the Warriors.
Curry, along with his wife Ayesha and long-time Davidson supporters Don, Matt, and Erica Berman, is helping establish an eight-figure fund to support the college’s men’s and women’s basketball programs. The college invited them to take on advisory roles, where they will contribute their time and expertise to both basketball teams.
Curry will also leverage resources from his major sponsor, Under Armour, and its global sports marketing team to provide further support. He expressed his desire for Davidson’s scholar-athletes to compete at the highest levels of college athletics, especially in the current environment where athletes can now profit from their name, image, and likeness — a benefit that wasn’t available during his time at the school, where he played from 2006 to 2009.
“The Davidson experience is second to none,” Curry, a three-time Southern Conference first-team selection, said. “My time at Davidson, starting in 2006, showed me that I could play basketball at the highest level while receiving a great education, building an incredible network through the alumni, and proudly representing the school. I want talented, high-character student-athletes to have the same opportunity.”
Vice President and Director of Athletics, Chris Clunie, noted that while basketball is Davidson’s flagship sport, the success of the basketball programs benefits the entire athletics department. “When our basketball teams succeed,” Clunie said, “they generate crucial revenue and exposure that support all of our athletic programs and help raise the overall visibility of the college.”
Davidson’s men’s basketball team is currently 16-15 this season. Curry emphasized that the goal is to invest in the future student-athletes coming to Davidson.
“They shouldn’t have to settle for less than what the market says they deserve to be part of the Davidson scholar-athlete brand, which is rooted in integrity and academic excellence,” Curry said. “The commitment to a four-year graduation process opens up numerous professional opportunities, whether in sports or as a life changer.”
Matt Berman will join Curry as assistant GM. Curry added, “Our role is to be a resource and sounding board for the program, but also to support each student-athlete, building personal relationships to guide them throughout their Davidson journey.”
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr doesn’t expect Curry to miss any games or begin scouting players nationwide.
“I’m wondering if he’s going to clean house, fire everyone, or what. I don’t know, we’ll see — he has a big job ahead of him,” Kerr joked before the Warriors played Portland on Monday night. “I think he’s pretty busy, so I’m hoping it’s more of a ceremonial role. If he asks if he can leave a game to go scout college players, I’ll probably say yes — although, it’s Steph Curry, so I probably will. But I hope he doesn’t ask.”