Mizzou men’s basketball hires first-ever general manager
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Mizzou men's basketball team officially jumped onto a trend sweeping the college sports world, on Monday morning: hiring a general manager.
MU Athletics announced that coaching veteran Tim Fuller will be the first general manager in program history. He will come to Columbia with more than 20 years of coaching experience, including time in Columbia
"Tim is a perfect fit for Mizzou and the newly-created general manger position," head coach Dennis Gates said in a press release. "His elite combination of skills and experience in the sport and his innovative mindset is exactly what this job requires. He is one of the most connected individuals in the sport and his ability to form relationships is what makes him a great addition to our staff. I have known Tim for several years and he continues to hold Mizzou in great regard. I'm excited to get to work with him as we continue to build a successful and modern basketball program."
Fuller spent the last few seasons as an assistant coach on staff at Providence, under former Tiger great Kim English, where he helped lead the Big East program's efforts in NIL development, recruiting and brand strategy. But, years before that, he wore the black and gold, as well. Fuller served as Mizzou's associate head coach from 2011 to 2015. He even started off the 2013-14 campaign off as the interim head coach, when former head coach Frank Haith was suspended.
In his time in Columbia, Fuller played a roll in the Tigers' 2012 Big 12 Championship, when the team finished the season ranked No. 3 in the nation with a 30-5 overall record. Between his coaching stints at MU, Louisville and other programs, he's recruited NBA-level talent, including Jordan Clarkson, Josh Howard and Jeff Teague.
However, Fuller has made an impact at every level. Between coaching stints, he was an executive at Nike, where he worked with some of the biggest names in the basketball world, including Paul Pierce and Vince Carter. He also joined Overtime Elite, which is a basketball league for 16-20 year olds in Atlanta to offer an alternative pathway to professional hoops, in the league's formative years. He helped four Overtime Elite talents get picked up in the Top-10 of the NBA Draft.
"This role is a full-circle moment for me," Fuller said in a press release. "College basketball is evolving and I'm excited to help Missouri stay at the forefront as the program's first general manager."
His new role, as the general manager of Mizzou hoops, will come with a litany of responsibilities, but will especially focus on strategic planning, roster construction, alumni engagement, agent relations and NIL optimization. Fuller is joining Coach Gates and company fresh off of a run to the NCAA Tournament. The program has made it to the Big Dance two out of the last three years.
Fuller will hope to help the Tigers build off of a successful 2024-25 campaign, where the team posted three top-five wins and finished sixth in the Southeastern Conference.
His experience as a player will, undoubtedly, help him in that process. Fuller's career all started at Wake Forest, where he was the captain of the 2000 NIT Championship team. After his playing days came to a close, though, he quickly jumped into coaching at West Forsyth High School, where he mentored a young Chris Paul before following the future NBA All-Pro back to Wake Forest as a member of the staff.
