Davidson basketball has been desperately searching for some magic since the departure of their supernatural sharpshooter. Now they’re going straight to the source, bringing back the man who put them on the map in the first place.
Stephen Curry—you know, just the greatest shooter in NBA history and the guy who revolutionized the entire sport of basketball—is returning to Davidson College as an assistant general manager. Because apparently transforming one franchise from laughingstock to dynasty wasn’t challenging enough.
The Prodigal Son Returns
Davidson’s basketball program has been in a slump since Matt McKillop took over for his father Bob in 2022. The Wildcats are limping along at 16-15 this season, which qualifies as their “best” performance under the younger McKillop. Read that again. Their BEST performance.
Curry’s return comes with serious financial backing too. He’s partnered with fellow Davidson alum Matt Berman to create the Curry-Berman Fund, providing the critical financial foundation Davidson needs to navigate college sports’ brave new world of revenue sharing with athletes.
For those keeping score at home, that’s:
- NBA superstar: ✓
- Multi-millionaire investor: ✓
- Administrative basketball savant: TBD
The Davidson Difference
What makes this situation so fascinating isn’t just Curry’s involvement—it’s the stark contrast between Davidson’s academic excellence and their athletic struggles. Davidson consistently posts GPAs and graduation rates among their athletes that exceed even the college’s overall impressive figures. They’re Harvard with jump shots.
The timing is no coincidence. Davidson announced in February they would opt into the landmark settlement against the NCAA regarding athlete compensation. The Curry-Berman partnership provides the financial backbone to ensure the school can compete in this new landscape.
“The Davidson experience is top notch,” Curry said. “My 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.”
Translation: “I’m not about to let my alma mater become irrelevant just because other schools can now legally pay their players.”
The Curry Effect
Let’s be real about what Curry brings to this role. Beyond the financial investment, his mere association with the program represents an immediate competitive advantage in recruiting. Imagine being an 18-year-old prospect and getting a FaceTime call from Stephen Curry asking you to consider Davidson. That’s like having Leonardo da Vinci personally invite you to art school.
The fact that Davidson landed both men’s and women’s basketball under this arrangement shows remarkable foresight. Women’s head coach Gayle Fulks called the gift “transformative,” noting that it allows Davidson to “compete for championships” in this new collegiate environment.
Davidson’s approach is unique: They’re betting that in a world where college athletes can now receive compensation, the combination of elite academics, principled athletics, and association with one of basketball’s all-time greats will provide a compelling package for recruits.
This partnership represents Davidson’s best chance at maintaining relevance in college basketball’s rapidly shifting landscape. They have no intention of compromising their academic standards, but they’re acknowledging that elite athletes deserve fair compensation.
The brilliance here is Davidson’s understanding that they can’t out-spend the blue bloods. What they CAN do is offer something nobody else can: the Stephen Curry connection, combined with world-class academics and a commitment to personal development.
The Bottom Line
Will Curry be showing up to random Tuesday practices in the middle of the NBA season? Doubtful. What he brings is far more valuable—credibility, financial backing, a recruiting edge, and a strategic brain that transformed basketball at every level he’s played.
For a school with just over 2,000 students to compete at the highest levels of college basketball, they need every advantage they can get. The Curry connection might be the only path forward in an environment where money increasingly talks.
Davidson’s basketball resurrection won’t happen overnight. But if there’s anyone who knows about defying expectations and revolutionizing a basketball program against seemingly impossible odds… it’s the baby-faced assassin who already did it once before.
The man who changed what’s possible in basketball is now trying to redefine what’s possible for a small liberal arts college in North Carolina. And if history has taught us anything, it’s that betting against Stephen Curry is just about the dumbest thing you could possibly do.
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