Gayle Fulks, women’s basketball head coach, said the Curry-Berman gift is transformative.
“We enter this new world of college sports with the ability to compete for championships,” Fulks said. “We are eager to build on this generosity in order for Davidson to continue to match up with the other teams in our conference, and we are grateful to Stephen, Matt and other alums and supporters who have stood shoulder to shoulder with us.”
Curry’s and Berman’s roles as assistant general managers will involve sharing their advice from years in the college and professional sports worlds and helping guide the teams in a collegiate athletic environment that has taken on facets of the pros.
“The goal for this is to invest in the next student athlete that’s coming into Davidson today,” Curry said. “They don’t have to take cuts on what the market says they deserve to be part of the brand of what it means to be a Davidson scholar-athlete with integrity in your academic experience. The commitment to a four-year graduation process provides countless opportunities professionally in sports or as a game changer in life. And that leads into my role as an assistant GM with Matt Berman – our ability to be a resource and a sounding board for the program, but also support each student athlete, to develop personal relationships with each of them to help guide them every step of the way through their Davidson experience.”
Curry’s pro career has drawn sponsorships, most prominently from Under Armour, and he has established his own for-profit companies. His philanthropic efforts, along with his wife, Ayesha, include the Eat.Learn.Play Foundation in Oakland, California, and his Underrated Tour, which provides access and opportunities for amateur golfers on and off the course.
Berman’s father, Don, founded Cardworks, a consumer finance company in which Matt and his sister, Erica, have served as executives. Don Berman and Bob McKillop, former head men’s basketball coach, have a lifelong connection from high school basketball on Long Island. Matt Berman now manages the family’s businesses, including an ownership stake in Burnley FC, an English football club about 30 miles north of Manchester. Erica Berman led the family’s bid to restart Charlotte’s WNBA team.
“This Curry-Berman gift weaves together Davidson’s rare strengths,” Hicks said, “especially the power of community among alums and leaders, to help move the college forward in an uncharted world of college athletics.”
