We need Skinn and give him a 5 year constract to give him time to build and learn at the same time. College game is about stability despite NIL and transfer portal. Just look at Miami again with coach L taking them to elite 8 again. Come on. I am tired of Paulsens, English, Hewitts, etc. They will never love Mason like Tony.
Duane Simpkins should be considered for the next HC of Mason. He has been an excellent Assistant HC for the past 7 years ad has more experience than Skinn.
We didn't fire our coach he left. Finishing 5th with 20 wins is hardly garbage. You might want to take a look at who is in the CAA these days. Is their conference championship game televised on CBS?
My comments were "tounge in cheek". It is clear however that Mason should not have hired English, and maybe even should have looked harder at Brad Edwards.
Is Paul Westhead still alive? He'd be perfect for the "Cluster" that Mason Basketball has become. A neophyte coach with a stutter who leaves for a bottom-feeding Big East school and an Athletic Director with a syrupy sweet-Southern Draw who leaves to run a trade-union for the world richest professional sports league. WTF? Rats? Sinking ship? Just say'n.
He and UConn settled last year in arbitration for wrongful termination. Agreed, probably unlikely that they go anywhere near it, but could be interesting. Besides any potential negative publicity, my concern would be him jumping ship as soon as a big name program comes calling. Short term it could be a splash to jumpstart us.
“It’s a very important moment for Dr. Washington though who can definitely continue to show faith that he’s all in for basketball.”
Yes. It is important. But other than hiring Kim (which was a Brad Edwards move that he signed off on), I don’t see any past evidence that he’s shown he’s all in for basketball to-date.
The fact that the Mason statement yesterday indicated they are going to expedite the AD search now (which essentially has sat vacant for a long time) indicates just how “not all-in” they are for athletics in general.
GMU admin: Just be honest about your true commitment to Mason athletics (and specifically, what should be our high profile men’s basketball program) so that those of us putting time and money into supporting it can make better informed decisions about those investments.
He was very involved in the English hire, may have done more work than Edwards which is why he may have left. This is also based on some comments he's made public and private to fans/donors. But you are right the actions during his time so far don't show he's all-in for anything related to basketball. We heard about Phase 2 of the practice facility update like 6 years and he's done nothing to communicate or show progress of what's going on with that.
Appreciate that insight. I recall when Kim was introduced to Mason Nation that Brad specifically talked about the search and his personal engagement with Kim, being impressed when breaking down in-game situations with him, etc. Quite possible that Dr. Washington had more involvement than many of us knew.
Appreciate your example of the practice facility. That probably extends to EBA as well. New video boards does not make a venue truly upgraded. Aside from the Green Machine involvement, the atmosphere there is a major bummer. Either that venue isn’t right for our program. Or Mason had to do a better job of getting the students (and the local and alumni community) engaged. Any coach coming in is going to have recruiting challenging because the in-game support/environment is so mediocre.
I am a native of Fairfax County, and a 1983 Graduate. My brother is a 1982 graduate. We both commuted from our Vienna home for all four years. My daughter was a 2014 graduate of the school, and lived on campus. I am well aware of the presence and role that Mason plays in the D.C. area. The EBA is just too large for the school. The perfect size area would be the size of J.M.U.'s Convocation Center (Which was replaced itself in the past few years..) or G.W's Smith Center. A 5000 seat area would be perfect. But, I don't know how you achieve that perfection.
100% agree on arena size. Mason played one of those weird end of season tournament games at The Rack (it was a much smaller gym on campus...no idea if it’s still there) about a decade ago because The Pat Center was booked for a concert. And the place was packed, loud as heck and a lot of fun.
Well.....Mason's tried every approach. The former Final Four coach from a Power Conference school. He failed. The former coach who was an assistant on a final Four Team with some success a smaller school. He failed. (Although three of the players he recruited have all earned first team or second team all conference honors....Oduro, Miller and Kolek). And finally, the overly ambitious former college star (with a cup of coffee in the NBA) What a cluster he was. l quickly left after two years for a bottom feeding Power Conference Team. (See Rick Barnes....hmmmm? Coincidence? Foreshadowing?) Well, Mason should hire Tony Skinn as soon as possible and move on. Just for nostalgia value alone. He couldn't do any worse than his immediate predecessors, and he'd bring back constant connections to Mason's highest athletic achievement.
We need Skinn and give him a 5 year constract to give him time to build and learn at the same time. College game is about stability despite NIL and transfer portal. Just look at Miami again with coach L taking them to elite 8 again. Come on. I am tired of Paulsens, English, Hewitts, etc. They will never love Mason like Tony.
Duane Simpkins should be considered for the next HC of Mason. He has been an excellent Assistant HC for the past 7 years ad has more experience than Skinn.
I wonder if the CAA would take us back? Just ask'n.
We didn't fire our coach he left. Finishing 5th with 20 wins is hardly garbage. You might want to take a look at who is in the CAA these days. Is their conference championship game televised on CBS?
My comments were "tounge in cheek". It is clear however that Mason should not have hired English, and maybe even should have looked harder at Brad Edwards.
Sorry then, I just hate when people say that considering where the CAA is right now.
Is Paul Westhead still alive? He'd be perfect for the "Cluster" that Mason Basketball has become. A neophyte coach with a stutter who leaves for a bottom-feeding Big East school and an Athletic Director with a syrupy sweet-Southern Draw who leaves to run a trade-union for the world richest professional sports league. WTF? Rats? Sinking ship? Just say'n.
Wild card candidate…. Kevin Ollie. Brings the resume of a championship and name recognition that could attract recruits.
Wasn't he fired for NCAA infractions at UConn? I doubt they are touching a guy like that
He and UConn settled last year in arbitration for wrongful termination. Agreed, probably unlikely that they go anywhere near it, but could be interesting. Besides any potential negative publicity, my concern would be him jumping ship as soon as a big name program comes calling. Short term it could be a splash to jumpstart us.
Solid list. Had not heard mention of Odom.
Don’t really understand the closing statement:
“It’s a very important moment for Dr. Washington though who can definitely continue to show faith that he’s all in for basketball.”
Yes. It is important. But other than hiring Kim (which was a Brad Edwards move that he signed off on), I don’t see any past evidence that he’s shown he’s all in for basketball to-date.
The fact that the Mason statement yesterday indicated they are going to expedite the AD search now (which essentially has sat vacant for a long time) indicates just how “not all-in” they are for athletics in general.
GMU admin: Just be honest about your true commitment to Mason athletics (and specifically, what should be our high profile men’s basketball program) so that those of us putting time and money into supporting it can make better informed decisions about those investments.
He was very involved in the English hire, may have done more work than Edwards which is why he may have left. This is also based on some comments he's made public and private to fans/donors. But you are right the actions during his time so far don't show he's all-in for anything related to basketball. We heard about Phase 2 of the practice facility update like 6 years and he's done nothing to communicate or show progress of what's going on with that.
Appreciate that insight. I recall when Kim was introduced to Mason Nation that Brad specifically talked about the search and his personal engagement with Kim, being impressed when breaking down in-game situations with him, etc. Quite possible that Dr. Washington had more involvement than many of us knew.
Appreciate your example of the practice facility. That probably extends to EBA as well. New video boards does not make a venue truly upgraded. Aside from the Green Machine involvement, the atmosphere there is a major bummer. Either that venue isn’t right for our program. Or Mason had to do a better job of getting the students (and the local and alumni community) engaged. Any coach coming in is going to have recruiting challenging because the in-game support/environment is so mediocre.
I am a native of Fairfax County, and a 1983 Graduate. My brother is a 1982 graduate. We both commuted from our Vienna home for all four years. My daughter was a 2014 graduate of the school, and lived on campus. I am well aware of the presence and role that Mason plays in the D.C. area. The EBA is just too large for the school. The perfect size area would be the size of J.M.U.'s Convocation Center (Which was replaced itself in the past few years..) or G.W's Smith Center. A 5000 seat area would be perfect. But, I don't know how you achieve that perfection.
100% agree on arena size. Mason played one of those weird end of season tournament games at The Rack (it was a much smaller gym on campus...no idea if it’s still there) about a decade ago because The Pat Center was booked for a concert. And the place was packed, loud as heck and a lot of fun.
Well.....Mason's tried every approach. The former Final Four coach from a Power Conference school. He failed. The former coach who was an assistant on a final Four Team with some success a smaller school. He failed. (Although three of the players he recruited have all earned first team or second team all conference honors....Oduro, Miller and Kolek). And finally, the overly ambitious former college star (with a cup of coffee in the NBA) What a cluster he was. l quickly left after two years for a bottom feeding Power Conference Team. (See Rick Barnes....hmmmm? Coincidence? Foreshadowing?) Well, Mason should hire Tony Skinn as soon as possible and move on. Just for nostalgia value alone. He couldn't do any worse than his immediate predecessors, and he'd bring back constant connections to Mason's highest athletic achievement.