Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has officially accepted the position of general manager of the men's basketball program at Weber State University, his alma mater. The university announced the news on Saturday evening. Lillard becomes only the second active player in major American professional sports to hold a management position with an NCAA team while still active.

Lillard's basketball career began at Weber State. From 2008 to 2012 , he was twice named Big Sky Conference Player of the Year, three times named to the All-Big Sky Conference First Team, and was named a Third Team All-American in 2012. That same year, his No. 1 jersey was retired by the school in recognition of his outstanding contributions.

Lillard stated in a press release that success doesn't happen overnight, especially in today's rapidly changing basketball landscape. Building a strong team takes time, trust, and commitment. He highly recognizes the values and growing culture that Weber State represents, and emphasizes that community support is crucial to the team's success. Lillard noted that this new role will allow him to be more actively involved in team building and contribute to the future development of Weber State men's basketball.

Weber State University athletic director Tim Crompton said Lillard has always maintained close ties with his alma mater, and the new position will allow him to contribute his experience and vision in a more formal way, providing great help to the team's development.

It's worth noting that only 18 Weber State alumni have played in the NBA , and Lillard is undoubtedly the most iconic. In 2021 , he was named one of the NBA's 75th Anniversary 75 Greatest Players. Selected by the Trail Blazers with the sixth pick in the 2012 draft, Lillard played for Portland for 11 seasons. He briefly played for the Milwaukee Bucks from 2023 to 2025 , but returned to the Trail Blazers this summer to continue his legendary legacy with the team that launched his career.