DAVIDSON, N.C. (AP) 鈥 Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry will serve as an assistant general manager for Davidson College鈥檚 basketball teams.
The four-time NBA champion and two-time league MVP will be the first active player in U.S. major professional sports to take an administrative job with a college team. He will continue to play with the Warriors while serving in this newly created role.
Curry and his wife, Ayesha, and longtime Davidson supporters Don, Matt and Erica Berman, are creating an eight-figure fund to support the college鈥檚 men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball teams. The college asked them to serve in these advisory roles, investing their time and sharing their experience with both men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball, according to a news release on Monday.
Curry will draw resources and support from the Under Armour global sports marketing team, one of his major sponsors.
He said he wants Davidson鈥檚 scholar-athletes to be able to compete in the top ranks of college athletics in an ever-changing landscape where athletes are now allowed to profit from their name, image and likeness 鈥 something that wasn鈥檛 available when he played there for three seasons from 2006-09.
鈥淭he Davidson experience is top notch,鈥 said Curry said, a three-time Southern Conference first-team selection at Davidson. 鈥淢y 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.鈥
Vice president and director of athletics Chris Clunie said basketball remains Davidson鈥檚 flagship sport, but the benefits of focusing on that game extend further.
鈥淲hen our basketball programs are successful,鈥 Clunie said, 鈥渢hey provide much-needed revenue and exposure to support all our athletics programs and raise the overall visibility of the college.鈥
Davidson is 16-15 this season in men's basketball.
Curry said the goal is to invest in the next student-athlete that鈥檚 coming into Davidson.
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 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,鈥 Curry said. "The commitment to a four-year graduation process provides countless opportunities professionally in sports or as a game changer in life."
Matt Berman will also serve as assistant GM alongside Curry.
鈥淥ur 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,鈥 Curry said.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr doesn鈥檛 expect Curry to miss games and start scouting players around the country.
鈥淚'm wondering is he going to clean house? Is he going in there and firing everybody? I don't know, we'll see, he's got a big job on his hands," Kerr cracked before the Warriors hosted Portland on Monday night. 鈥淚 think he's kind of busy so I'm hoping it's a ceremonial role more than anything. If he asks me if he can leave and not play a game so he can go scout some college games, I'm probably going to say no, although it is Steph Curry so I'll probably say yes actually. But I hope he does not ask.鈥
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AP Sports Writer Janie McCauley contributed. ___
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