Steph Curry might not play GM for his NBA team as much as some of his other superstar contemporaries, but now he’s about to be a real executive.
Curry has accepted the position of assistant general manager of the basketball programs for his alma mater of Davidson, the college announced Monday. Curry, his wife, and Davidson boosters Don, Matt and Erica Berman are creating an eight-figure fund to support the men’s and women’s basketball teams, the college said.
“The Davidson experience is top notch,” Curry said in the school’s release. “My journey from when I got to Davidson in 2006 to now demonstrated that I had the opportunity to play basketball at the highest level, got a great education, an amazing network through the Davidson alumni and continue to wave the Davidson flag. I want very talented, high character student athletes to have that same experience.”
Curry and Matt Berman — a former Davidson soccer player — will serve as assistant general managers. They’ll report to general manager Aaron Buntz, a former Under Armour executive.
Curry is the first active U.S. professional athlete to take an administrative job with an NCAA team. Andrew Luck returned to Stanford as its football general manager last winter.
Curry’s role with Davidson will be to share advice from his experiences in college and in the NBA with the team to help guide them through what has shifted into a pro-style NCAA landscape.
The fund Curry and the Bermans are building is different than traditional booster fundraising. Because of the House v. NCAA lawsuit settlement, schools are expected to be permitted to directly compensate athletes starting in the 2025-26 academic year.
“The goal for this is to invest in the next student athlete that’s coming into Davidson today,” Curry said. “They don’t have to take cuts on what the market says they deserve to be part of the brand of what it means to be a Davidson scholar-athlete with integrity in your academic experience. The commitment to a four-year graduation process provides countless opportunities professionally in sports or as a game changer in life. And that leads into my role as an assistant GM with Matt Berman – our ability to be a resource and a sounding board for the program, but also support each student athlete, to develop personal relationships with each of them to help guide them every step of the way through their Davidson experience.”
Curry played three seasons at Davison for head coach Bob McKillop (his son, Matt, is now the head coach). He led the Wildcats to NCAA Tournament berths in all three seasons, including the storybook Elite Eight run in 2008.
Since Curry departed, Davidson has made the tournament just five times in 16 seasons. Name, image and likeness rules and the proliferation of the transfer portal have shaken up the college sports ecosystem. Curry won four NBA championships, two league MVPs and was named to 11 All-Star teams after leaving.
In 2022, Curry returned to Davidson to complete his degree. Now he’s returning to call some shots.
Being assistant general manager for Davidson adds another responsibility onto Curry’s plate. His day job is to carry the weight of the Warriors as their face of the franchise. He also helps run the Eat.Learn.Play foundation with his wife, is CEO of Curry Brand and is involved in several other business ventures.