In the ever-evolving landscape of college athletics, particularly in football and basketball, a noticeable power shift is taking place. Traditionally, head coaches were the absolute leaders of their programs — the final authority on recruiting, roster construction, staffing, and day-to-day operations. But a new trend is emerging across the NCAA: head coaches are beginning to cede significant control to general managers (GMs), a role once largely associated with professional sports.
This shift is not just symbolic — it represents a fundamental restructuring of how college programs operate in the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) era, the transfer portal age, and the fast-paced, high-stakes business that college sports have become. From Alabama to Arizona, and from football to women’s basketball, general managers are becoming powerful figures with wide-ranging influence, raising the question: Why are head coaches giving up power, and what does it mean for the future of college sports?
The Rise of the College GM
The general manager role has long existed in professional sports, where GMs are typically responsible for roster construction, contracts, player personnel decisions, and overall long-term strategy, while head coaches focus on game plans and team development. In college sports, however, this role didn’t exist until recently.
That began to change when programs started hiring staffers with titles like “director of player personnel,” “recruiting coordinator,” or “chief of staff.” These roles, which initially focused on logistics and compliance, evolved to encompass more strategic duties — building relationships with NIL collectives, scouting transfer portal talent, overseeing recruiting strategies, and managing scholarship counts. Eventually, some programs began formalizing the position under a new label: general manager.
Now, schools like Texas, LSU, Florida State, Georgia, and Michigan have general managers overseeing everything from high school scouting to NIL negotiations. The GM has become a key lieutenant in the arms race of roster building, operating alongside — and sometimes above — traditional assistant coaches.
Why Head Coaches Are Handing Off Power
So, why are highly paid, high-profile head coaches ceding influence to these GMs? The answer lies in the complexity and sheer volume of what it takes to run a modern college program.
1. The Complexity of NIL and the Transfer Portal
In the pre-portal, pre-NIL era, head coaches could focus most of their energy on game preparation, player development, and traditional recruiting. But now, they are tasked with managing players’ branding opportunities, maintaining relationships with donors and collectives, and navigating the wild west of the transfer portal, where hundreds of athletes enter and exit programs at a moment’s notice.
The portal requires constant evaluation — it’s a year-round free agency system, and it’s impossible for a head coach alone to monitor every player entering or leaving across the country. The general manager has become the point person in this chaotic new ecosystem.
2. Roster Management is Now a Full-Time Job
With players transferring at will and NIL deals directly affecting recruiting and retention, managing a roster is no longer just about projecting depth charts. It involves budgeting NIL money, understanding scholarship limits, balancing egos, and staying ahead of portal trends.
GMs — often former scouts, assistant coaches, or even NFL front office personnel — bring analytical expertise and long-term vision to roster construction. They evaluate talent not just by highlight reels, but by fit, cost, and return on investment.
3. Coaches Are Prioritizing Culture and On-Field Development
As GMs take over roster-building duties, many coaches are leaning back into the cultural and developmental aspects of the job. For example, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has spoken about the value of having a GM like David Cooper so that he can focus more on player leadership, discipline, and game planning.
This delegation allows coaches to do what they do best — develop talent, build chemistry, and win games — while their GMs work the phones, negotiate with NIL reps, and monitor portal analytics.
Examples of Successful GM-Led Models
Several programs have already shown how empowering a GM can work in a school’s favor.
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Florida State’s general manager Derek Ray was pivotal in assembling a 2023 team built on both high school recruiting and elite transfer portal finds. His work helped Mike Norvell lead the Seminoles back to national prominence.
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At Texas, GM Billy Glasscock manages recruiting infrastructure, NIL operations, and portal strategy. Steve Sarkisian credits much of their roster continuity and top-five talent level to Glasscock’s influence.
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LSU’s Jordan Arcement, a rising star in the GM space, played a critical role in shaping Brian Kelly’s roster with high-impact transfers and strategic NIL planning.
The Trade-Off: Less Power, More Stability?
This shift doesn’t mean head coaches are becoming figureheads. But it does represent a trade-off: by giving up some control over roster operations, coaches are building more stable and efficient infrastructures. In many ways, this mirrors the NFL and NBA, where strong front offices work hand-in-hand with coaching staffs to build consistent winners.
Some traditionalists may balk at the idea of head coaches stepping back, but the results speak for themselves. Programs that empower their GMs are often more agile, better prepared, and more competitive in the current environment.
What’s Next?
As NIL and transfer rules continue to evolve, the importance of the GM role will only increase. We may even see a time when athletic departments formalize the position further, giving GMs contract authority and full control over recruiting budgets — essentially creating a true front office model at the college level.
More importantly, young, ambitious executives may now view the college GM role as a stepping stone to NFL jobs or athletic director roles, further professionalizing the sport.
Final Thoughts
In a college athletics world that increasingly resembles the pros, the rise of the general manager is no accident — it’s a necessity. Head coaches who embrace this model aren’t giving up power as much as they’re redefining how power is wielded.
By trusting their GMs to handle the operational and strategic chaos of the modern game, coaches are finding clarity and focus in what they do best: leading their teams and winning games. And as college football and basketball continue to evolve,