Former Jayhawk Says Kansas ‘Needs a Front Office’ For the Future

Robinson’s comments come at a time when several college basketball programs are designating general managers and emulating that of a professional franchise when it comes establishing their presence nationally and globally.

“We need a front office,” Robinson said. “I was just talking with Mario (Chalmers), we’ve got too many guys with experience all over the world, global experience. I think they should open a front office, especially for the players as well, given the resources they need to be their best. All of that impacts winning, so we look forward to that. Hopefully they do it sooner than later.”

Kansas already employs a “director of basketball operations,” Lexi Price, who handles “day-to-day operations of the KU program, in addition to managing student-athlete enrollment, housing, team travel, and coordinating camps and clinics,” according to her official page on the school’s athletics website.

What Robinson is pushing for, though, is someone to take the established brand and its reach to the next level.

Several neighboring programs – Baylor, Cincinnati, Texas Tech, West Virginia and others – have designated a “general manager,” or a similar position supporting a coaching staff with the increasing demands of revenue sharing, recruiting, NIL deals and school-agent relations when it comes to their student athletes.

Bill Self and Kurtis Townsend have been star recruiters in the Big 12 for years, and landing the country’s top recruit Tyran Stokes over rival blue blood Kentucky is just the latest example. But even back-to-back freshman like Stokes or Darryn Peterson don’t automatically churn out wins, and a second-round exit in their latest NCAA Tournament run is proof. The Jayhawks were cleaned out thanks to the transfer portal, and maneuvered whatever money they could to convince Self not to retire.

Robinson’s argument, which if he’s chatting with the likes of Mario Chalmers, is likely shared by several former players that didn’t exactly earn a wage playing college basketball and are voicing their thoughts as to where the program’s headed. It’s worth mentioning Robinson has a Master’s of Business Administration from Arizona and is currently finishing his doctorate.

The Big 12 is navigating the changing college basketball landscape while also upholding its status as the best conference to watch hoops in the country. It’s not surprising alumni are taking notice, and it’s even encouraging, really, that former stars are seeking new avenues to attract talent and use their platforms for the betterment of their respective schools.

Give it time, almost everybody will have something similar to a “front office” in just a few short years.