3 Things to Know About Mizzou Basketball's New General Manager, Tim Fuller

Proven Recruiter

Fuller's job as general manager won't be his first stint with the Tigers. From 2011-2015, he was an assistant and top recruiter on the staff. He led the way in recruiting players such as Jordan Clarkson, Jabari Brown and others to Missouri.

On top of being a lead recruiter as an assistant coach, Fuller was the director of scouting and recruiting at Overtime Elite for three years. At the private high school league, Fuller was crucial in recruiting Amen and Asur Thompson, who would both go on to be lottery picks in the NBA draft. He also recruited NBA-draft selections Alex Sarr and Rob Dillingham.

Being able to chip into recruiting efforts, especially during the season, will free up Gates' schedule to focus on other areas of coaching.

"[I} think it's the right time now to do it," Gates said of the decision to hire a general manager in a press conference on April 29. "It'll allow me to continue to do other things without dividing time."

Unique Experience in NIL Space

The stop that makes Fuller one of the most unique candidates for the new job is his experiencing working at Nike as an executive. There, he negotiated brand deals with athletes such as Paul Pierce. From this experience, he'll undoubtedly be able to provide insight on negotiating NIL deals with athletes at Missouri.

Additionally, Fuller has experience working with university administration, another crucial skill for leaders of college athletics programs today. From 2015 to 2020, he was an advisor on athletics to the university president at Harris-Stowe University State in St. Louis.

Finally, over the last two seasons at Providence, Fuller was not only an assistant coach, but also led the program in NIL development, recruiting and brand strategy under head coach Kim English, a former player at Missouri.

Determined Character

The key trait that made Fuller a succesful as a player at Wake Forest from 1996-2000, then as a coach and recruiter is his rare drive, as detailed in a 2024 story from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

The profile story details Fuller's unique path to earning a spot on the Wake Forest roster as a walk-on by refusing to take no for an answer. Based off other anecdotes in the story, there's a through-line of that attitude through all of Fuller's career, especially in recruiting.

With Fuller's resume, this hire not only takes a bit of stress and responsibility off of Gates' hands. It could also be an asset to a coaching staff that has already had success in recruiting, placing multiple classes between the transfer portal and high school freshmen in the top-15 of rankings.