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Rico Sylvester Jr. Named Director of Operations and Player Personnel for Runnin' Utes
4/11/2025 1:09 PM | Men's Basketball
Alex Jensen hires Rico Sylvester Jr. for the director of operations and player personnel role with Runnin’ Utes.
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah head men's basketball coach Alex Jensen selects Rico Sylvester Jr. for director of operations and player personnel role with Runnin' Utes.
"Rico comes to us with experience at multiple levels both in the NCAA and in the NBA front office," Utah general manager Wes Wilcox said. "Rico was a standout in the NBA's Future Basketball Operations Stars program and I got to witness it first-hand when he joined the Sacramento Kings organization. We're excited to have a rising star in the business join our program and help build an NBA style front office that will establish proven systems to successfully navigate the changing NIL landscape in college basketball."
Sylvester comes to the Wasatch Front after spending the 2024-25 season with the Sacramento Kings in the basketball operations office. While there, he served as the scouting contact for the organization and coordinated logistics for every scout. In addition, Sylvester was in charge of conducting pre-draft dossiers on all potential draft prospects for the front office among his other day-to-day duties.
He began journey in basketball as an undergrad, serving as a practice player on Cuonzo Martin's team from 2019-21. While with the Tigers, Sylvester helped the coaching staff with practice set-up/breakdown and assisted with drills. He also got hands-on experience with individual workouts.
After graduation, Sylvester joined the Louisiana Tech men's basketball staff as a graduate assistant for the 2021-22 campaign before following head coach Eric Konkol to Tulsa for two seasons (2022-24). As a GA, he was integral in assisting the staff with opponent scouting, player development, scheduling and several other operational duties. He also served as the liaison for recruiting visits at Tulsa.
During his time with the Golden Hurricanes, Sylvester participated in the NBA Future Basketball Operations Stars Program. The six-month long program was led by the NBA's top officials in its basketball operations department and learned the framework of working inside an NBA front office at various levels and departments. Sylvester finished as 1-of-10 participants in his 80-person cohort chosen to be a part of the league operations working group for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game and 2024 NBA Draft Combine.
Those interested in purchasing season tickets for the upcoming 2025-26 Utah men's basketball season and the first year of the Alex Jensen Era can fill out an interest form by clicking here.
For the latest news and information on the Runnin' Utes men's basketball program, fans can stay connected online at www.UtahUtes.com and on social media by following @UtahMBB on Facebook, X and Instagram. Fans can also stay connected on their mobile devices or tablets with the Utah 360, the official app of Utah Athletics, through the Apple Store or Google Play.
"Rico comes to us with experience at multiple levels both in the NCAA and in the NBA front office," Utah general manager Wes Wilcox said. "Rico was a standout in the NBA's Future Basketball Operations Stars program and I got to witness it first-hand when he joined the Sacramento Kings organization. We're excited to have a rising star in the business join our program and help build an NBA style front office that will establish proven systems to successfully navigate the changing NIL landscape in college basketball."
Sylvester comes to the Wasatch Front after spending the 2024-25 season with the Sacramento Kings in the basketball operations office. While there, he served as the scouting contact for the organization and coordinated logistics for every scout. In addition, Sylvester was in charge of conducting pre-draft dossiers on all potential draft prospects for the front office among his other day-to-day duties.
He began journey in basketball as an undergrad, serving as a practice player on Cuonzo Martin's team from 2019-21. While with the Tigers, Sylvester helped the coaching staff with practice set-up/breakdown and assisted with drills. He also got hands-on experience with individual workouts.
After graduation, Sylvester joined the Louisiana Tech men's basketball staff as a graduate assistant for the 2021-22 campaign before following head coach Eric Konkol to Tulsa for two seasons (2022-24). As a GA, he was integral in assisting the staff with opponent scouting, player development, scheduling and several other operational duties. He also served as the liaison for recruiting visits at Tulsa.
During his time with the Golden Hurricanes, Sylvester participated in the NBA Future Basketball Operations Stars Program. The six-month long program was led by the NBA's top officials in its basketball operations department and learned the framework of working inside an NBA front office at various levels and departments. Sylvester finished as 1-of-10 participants in his 80-person cohort chosen to be a part of the league operations working group for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game and 2024 NBA Draft Combine.
Those interested in purchasing season tickets for the upcoming 2025-26 Utah men's basketball season and the first year of the Alex Jensen Era can fill out an interest form by clicking here.
For the latest news and information on the Runnin' Utes men's basketball program, fans can stay connected online at www.UtahUtes.com and on social media by following @UtahMBB on Facebook, X and Instagram. Fans can also stay connected on their mobile devices or tablets with the Utah 360, the official app of Utah Athletics, through the Apple Store or Google Play.
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