Maryland assistant and former George Mason player Tony Skinn hired to be the Patriots’ new head coach, the school announced on Thursday. Skinn was a senior leader on the legendary Mason team that made the Final Four in 2006 and has back in Division I college basketball since 2015.
“We are thrilled to welcome Tony and his family back to George Mason,” AD Nena Rogers said in the release. “I had the pleasure of working with Tony during his time as a student-athlete and I’m so proud of his growth personally and professionally. We all look back with reverence at 2006, and I am confident Tony will bring the same competitive drive and fire in leading our program as he did as our starting point guard. An elite recruiter, he is well-connected and well-respected, and he will play an integral role in identifying and securing talented student-athletes to represent our university. I share in the excitement of Mason Nation as we begin a new era of George Mason Basketball.”
Skinn is originally from Nigeria but his family emigrated to the United States when he was two years old, raising Tony and his siblings in Maryland. Prior to joining the Terps program in 2022, Skinn had stints as an assistant at Ohio State, Seton Hall and Louisiana Tech. He first got into coaching at the AAU level with DC-based Team Takeover in 2012 after concluding his overseas playing career.
“It is with great excitement that I return home to George Mason,” Skinn said. “I’d like to thank Dr. Washington and Nena Rogers on this tremendous opportunity and for believing in my vision. I am committed to greatness! We will set our standards high, hustle every step of the way and compete amongst the best. It’s an unbelievable feeling to step back on campus. I’ve had some of my greatest memories here and I’m looking forward to making new ones with our fans and our community. Our best days are ahead! Mason Nation, I missed you and I am honored to represent you.”
Mason is coming off a 20-13 season in which they finished 5th in the A-10. Previous head coach Kim English left earlier this month to take over at Providence.
credit to George Mason Athletics for the image