It's a whole new era in the world of college sports, and as the tides continue to shift, athletic departments have begun to hire general managers. It's an unexpected ripple effect of the NIL age, but the value is obvious. Recruiting and keeping talent has never been harder; GMs can zero in on talent retention and acquisition in a way ADs and head coaches can't due to their additional responsibilities.
The basketball world has already seen Adrian Wojnarowski step down from his insider job to take such a role with St. Bonaventure. This week, Steph Curry made headlines by agreeing to become Davidson's assistant GM. On Tuesday, the NBA was shook up yet again as news broke that the Boston Celtics were losing their director of scouting to such a role.
Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported Remy Cofield, director of scouting in Boston since 2020, was leaving the professional world behind to become the GM of Arkansas athletics.
This is a transition fans may see more of as GM positions become more common in college sports. It's a role where experience in the pros is just as, if not more, valuable than any experience at the college level. And many programs seem likely to take after the Razorbacks' decision to poach from the top organizations in sports; the Celtics are coming off a championship and are widely regarded as one of the more well-run teams in the NBA.
Cofield's decision is a trend worth watching for sports fans. But in the immediate, it's a tough loss for Boston.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Celtics Director of Scouting Leaves NBA to Become GM of Arkansas .
