John Wall Named Howard Basketball Operations President

Howard University has named former Washington Wizards guard John Wall as president of basketball operations. Officials at the historically Black university in Washington, D.C., confirmed the appointment to ESPN on Thursday. The role returns Wall to the city where his NBA career began.

Wall, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, spent his first nine seasons with the Wizards. He earned five consecutive All-Star selections, later played for the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers, and last appeared in an NBA game during the 2022-23 season before retiring in August 2025. Howard named him honorary captain on Jan. 31, and he has expressed interest in an NBA front-office position.

Wall joins a program that has reached the NCAA Division I men's tournament three times in the past four years, including its first victory in March over University of Maryland, Baltimore County in the First Four. He has already participated in team meetings, evaluated recruits, identified transfer targets, shaped strategic vision, mentored players and handled name, image and likeness deals, according to ESPN. Howard general manager Daniel Marks and coach Kenny Blakeney will work closely with him.