ESPN Senior NBA Insider reported that Arizona legend Mike Bibby, the head coach at Sacramento State, is hiring Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal as the Hornets' general manager. O'Neal's son Shaqir plays for Sacramento State. Bibby and O'Neal were NBA contemporaries battling with the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers.
Bibby is entering his first season as a collegiate head coach. After his NBA playing career ended, Bibby returned to Phoenix and became an assistant coach at his alma mater, Shadow Mountain High School, in 2013–2014. When the Shadow Mountain head coach left for another job, Bibby was promoted to the top job.
Bibby left Shadow Mountain and had a 10-game stint as head coach in 2019. Per his Sacramento State biography, 'Recently, Bibby had assistant coaching stops with the Puerto Rican National Team, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies summer league teams, and the NBA G-League Ignite."
College basketball programs hiring general managers is becoming a growing trend. Charnia reported O'Neal will be the voluntary general manager for Sacramento State. O'Neal was previously connected to Sacramento as a minority owner for the Kings from 2013 through 2022.
Shaquille O'Neal has agreed to become the men's basketball general manager of Sacramento State, sources tell ESPN. It will be a voluntary role for Shaq, whose son, Shaqir O'Neal, also plays for Sac State under Mike Bibby. Shaq and Bibby form a star duo as college GM and coach. pic.twitter.com/3F2NQBbhf7
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 29, 2025
MarketWatch reported over 30 programs have hired a general manager since 2022. Rachel Baker of Duke became the first college basketball general manager in 2022. Trae Young with Oklahoma and Stephen Curry at Davidson are among the other current and former NBA players who have been appointed as general managers.
MarketWatch Weston Blasi predicted, "College GMs (are) poised to be a hot job." Each program will have different responsibilities for their GMs. O'Neal should not be expected to be involved in the daily planning for Sacramento State. Expect O'Neal to be primarily an advisor to Bibby and potentially help with roster planning.
Shaqir O'Neal transferred to Sacramento State after playing two seasons at Texas State and one at Florida A&M. Only three other players are listed on the Sacramento State roster. Michael Bibby, Bibby's son, is the associate head coach for Sacramento State.