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Mike Gansey
From Olmsted Falls, Ohio, Mike Gansey played collegiate basketball and on a variety of professional teams in the United States and abroad after graduating from West Virginia University in 2006 with a degree in Criminology and Investigations.
At WVU, he helped lead his team to the Elite Eight as a junior to the Sweet 16 as a senior. His leadership journey took him from being the Cleveland Cavaliers Front Office Seasonal Assistant in 2011-12 through a variety of positions until he became the General Manager for the NBA team in 2022. As General Manager for the Cleveland Charge, he was awarded the 2016-17 NBA G League Executive of the Year.
A personal note from program coordinator Carolyn Atkins: Mike is one of my former students. I distinctly remember the day in 2004 when he walked into my office and stated that he wanted to write a speech about his stepfather, Tony Mazzella. “Is it positive?” I inquired. “He changed my life,” Mike responded. At the end of the semester, we invited Mike’s parents, unaware of the topic, to attend the final presentations of Student Athletes Speak Out. When Mike concluded, I introduced them to the audience. If you want to view the speech, see Tony Mazzella on the Student Athletes Speak Out website.