Former NBA guard Malcolm Brogdon has accepted a position at his alma mater, the University of Virginia. The school announced today in a press release that Brogdon will serve as a strategic advisor for Virginia’s men’s basketball program.
Head coach Ryan Odom made the announcement, stating that the team is “thrilled” to welcome back the former All-American and ACC Player of the Year in the newly created role.
“I am honored to be a part of this new era of UVA basketball,” Brogdon said. “I know this is a new role, but I see myself jumping right in and being a resource for the players, coaches, and the entire basketball program. I’m excited to return to a place I consider home in what I’m sure will be a meaningful experience for myself and the program.”
It has become increasingly common in the past year or two for NBA players to accept jobs with their former colleges. For instance, Stephen Curry was named the assistant GM at Davidson, Trae Young became the assistant GM at Oklahoma, Terance Mann joined Florida State as the Seminoles’ assistant GM, and Patty Mills was hired by the University of Hawai’i as their GM.
In most of those cases, the players’ new roles represented part-time positions, since they continue competing in the NBA or in Europe. However, that’s not the case for Brogdon, who announced his retirement as a player last October after spending training camp and the preseason with the Knicks. While it remains to be seen just how hands-on and full-time his new job will be, he should have plenty of time to dedicate to it.
A four-year standout at Virginia, Brogdon was a consensus second-team All-American in 2015 and a consensus first-teamer in 2016. He was named the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year in both seasons and earned the conference’s Player of the Year award in 2016. His jersey (No. 15) was later retired by the Cavaliers.
Brogdon fell to the second round of the 2016 draft (No. 36 overall) due to medical red flags, but was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2017 with the Bucks and won a Sixth Man of the Year award with the Celtics in 2023. The veteran guard, who turned 33 in December, spent three seasons in Milwaukee and three in Indiana before playing one year apiece in Boston, Portland, and Washington.
A reliable contributor on both ends of the court who battled injuries over the course of a nine-year NBA career, Brogdon had averages of 15.3 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds in 29.1 minutes per game across 463 total regular season outings, with a shooting line of .463/.388/.874. He also served as a vice president on the NBPA’s executive committee from 2019-25.