John Wall, the former Washington Wizard, has agreed to become the president of basketball operations at Howard University, according to an ESPN report on Thursday.
The D.C. college has not publicly confirmed the move or responded to a request for comment from The Washington Times.
Wall, a five-time All-Star, was already working with Howard as a player mentor and talent evaluator, with an eye toward potential recruits and transfer targets, ESPN reported.
The Kentucky product has also reportedly aided Howard staff in roster management, agent negotiations and revenue sharing.
Howard, which plays in the Division I Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, has earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament in three of the past four years. The school won its first March Madness game this year, with a win over fellow No. 16 seed University of Maryland, Baltimore County, during the bracket’s First Four matchups.
The Wizards honored Wall in January for his efforts on and off the court in the District. The top pick in the 2010 NBA draft had officially retired over the summer.
“He’s a leader. He puts his heart on the court. His physicality, his athleticism, is always shocking, but his leading ability comes out every night,” Wizards forward Kyshawn George said of Wall. “If you ask someone, ’Who’s the first Wizards player who comes to mind?’ they usually say John Wall. It’s the impact he had on this team, this organization, this city.”
During his 13-year NBA career, Wall averaged 18.7 points and 8.9 assists per game. Injuries derailed what could’ve been a Hall of Fame trajectory, as the North Carolina native appeared in just 147 games after earning third-team All-NBA honors during the 2016-17 season.
The 35-year-old worked as a broadcaster last season, joining Prime Video’s inaugural effort covering the NBA. He also served as a pregame and postgame analyst following Wizards broadcasts on Monumental Sports Network.
Wall becomes the latest in a growing group of NBA All-Stars looking to make an impact on college rosters.
Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry and Wizards guard Trae Young are both assistant general managers at their alma maters: Davidson and Oklahoma, respectively. Brooklyn Nets wing Terance Mann accepted a similar position at Florida State, while Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard is the general manager at Weber State.
The current era of college athletics, with an expanded transfer portal and sponsorship deals for players, has led many programs to consider current and former NBA players for front office roles.
“College basketball is shifting dramatically,” Wes Wilcox, a former NBA executive who is the University of Utah’s general manager, told Front Office Sports last year. “Much of what is required in the current college environment is what the NBA has been doing forever.”
Howard, with the addition of Wall, is just the latest university to join the trend.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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