Brian Pauga, a scout for the NBA’s Utah Jazz, talks about his work and the skills
needed to gain employment in an NBA front office in the newest episode of Trine University’s
Center for Sports Studies podcast.
Pauga was a student manager for Michigan State University who turned his passion for
basketball into a career. For the past two decades, he has worked as a scout with
three NBA teams and as the general manager for the G-League’s Austin Spurs.
In the podcast, he discusses the day-to-day responsibilities of a scout and the role
scouts play in assisting the front office with player identification, the draft and
potential trades. He also talks about the paths to becoming a scout in the NBA, the
skills needed to be successful and how the profession has changed due to analytics.
Produced through the Trine Broadcasting Network, the Trine Center for Sports Studies
podcast focuses on the business side of sports, including interviews with sports professionals
and current research in sports studies. Hosted by Center for Sports Studies director
Brandon Podgorski, the podcast is available at css.transistor.fm, on platforms such
as Spotify, iTunes, Google Play and Stitcher, and on YouTube.
Listen to the episode at css.transistor.fm/66