Sacramento State Basketball makes big-time hire for GM position

Shaquille O'Neal has agreed to become the Sacramento State men's basketball general manager, according to reports. 

The Basketball Hall of Famer will spend time with his son, Shaqir O'Neal, who will play for Sacramento State under new coach Mike Bibby after transferring from Florida A&M last March. 

O'Neal is the latest high-profile athlete to accept a GM role at the collegiate level. He's also the biggest names to jump in the pool of managing NIL distribution. 

NBA superstar Stephen Curry was named an assistant GM at Davidson last month, along with Hawks star Trae Young taking a similar role at Oklahoma. Retired NFL quarterback Andrew Luck did the same with Stanford Football. Former NFL coach Ron Rivera also took over for Cal Football.  

O'Neal won four NBA titles, three NBA Finals MVPs and a league MVP during his 19-year career in the league. He is currently an analyst on TNT's "Inside the NBA" show.  

Sacramento State is slated to open a new basketball facility on campus this fall. The school is one of the rising athlete departments in the county with a deep commitment to NIL distribution. The Hornets Football program will move up to FBS for the first time in the school's history in 2026.