Mike Bibby stunned the college ranks. As the new head coach at Sacramento State, he brought in none other than Shaquille O’Neal as the General Manager. O’Neal made clear this is more than a publicity stunt.
“I know what it takes to build a winning culture,” he said via Sacramento State statement. “This is about more than the banners and trophies, but preparing those student-athletes for life on and off the court.” Clearly, this isn’t just a name drop—Shaq’s ready to get to work.
In a 247Sports interview, Bibby detailed Shaq’s behind-the-scenes role and shared what Shaq’s role really looks like behind the scenes. “I mean, he will handle whatever he wants. He’s Shaquille O’Neal, you know what I mean,” Bibby said. But there’s more to it.
The duo is laying the groundwork for a full-on program reboot—From NIL strategy to a state-of-the-art training complex, and even a revamped weight and training room. And yes, it’s all slowly coming together. Or, as Bibby put it, “little by little.”
Meanwhile, that “little by little” just turned into a huge step forward. Sacramento State has kicked off a major renovation for what’s being described as a “long-needed, bigger basketball venue on campus.” According to The Sacramento Bee’s Joe Davidson, the new 3,200-seat pavilion—complete with two massive video boards—is already under construction and set to be finished by summer. The WELL will supplant the 73-year-old Nest, which seats just 1,012.
The Nest will remain as a dedicated practice facility. It’ll stick around as a practice space and host for other sports. But finally, as Davidson wrote, it “will no longer be labeled as the poorest Division I basketball venue in the country.” Bibby’s vision? A Duke-style home court vibe, one that captures the same Kings-level energy Sacramento fans are known for.
