ESPN NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski announced his retirement from journalism on X Wednesday to return to his alma mater as the general manager for the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team.
“After all these years reporting on everyone’s teams, I’m headed back to my own,” he wrote.
Known for his “Woj Bombs” breaking shocking NBA personnel news, Wojnarowski wrote that he was no longer “driven to make” the investment required of the newsbreaking role.
In 2022, Wojnarowski was reported to have signed a five-year, $35 million deal that kept him at ESPN. He was named the National Sports Media Association’s National Sportswriter of the Year in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
“We completely understand his decision to make a lifestyle change and slow down a bit,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “We know he will continue to thrive in this next chapter, and he has our collective gratitude and support.”
At St. Bonaventure, Wojnarowski will help recruit high schoolers and transfers as well as manage NIL opportunities for players alongside collective organizations. He will also contribute to fundraising and alumni relationship efforts.
In February, Wojnarowski donated $50,000 to the team’s collective. The Bonnies compete in the Atlantic 10 conference and last made the NCAA Tournament in 2021.
“Woj is the perfect person to fill this new role, combining his intimate knowledge of St. Bonaventure and our Franciscan values with a deep network of relationships he has built across the worlds of professional and intercollegiate basketball,” St. Bonaventure VP and intercollegiate athletics director Bob Beretta said in a statement. “The fact that the preeminent journalist in his field is willing to walk away from a lucrative media career to serve his alma mater in a support role is a testament to his love and passion for Bona’s.”
