masonhoops1984
Role Player
What’s the deal with Austin Ball is he in the portal?
Welcome Coach Tony Skinn!
- Thread starter Pikapppatri8
- Start date
My apologies, left one out.
He15man
Starter
Everything about this makes me excited. But it also has me believing we should enjoy it while it lasts. Because eventually this dude is gonna get a call with an offer to take the reins somewhere
thebiasedannouncer
Sixth Man
Obviously no idea how Tony will be as a HC compared to KE yet.
However, his current crop of assistants > KE's group of assistants. Love Simp, but Curran and Hinnant > Felton and Nate for sure tbh
By a country mile
Now let’s get the basketball facility officially announced and then we’ll really be cooking with gas!
Yeaaaa. Getting this guy to leave his boy Mark Schmidt for another A-10 program is bonkers as this guy was very loyal for a long time up there.
He must of been communicated something for him to leave now, or saw something he didn't like at St. Bonny.... would look like a step down at this point to Mason IMO.
Maybe he's had enough of Olean and wants change of scenery.
Plus he's an older coach and never has gotten the opportunity for a head coaching gig it seems. Wonder why he never made the jump as I'm sure he had to have a least one offer over 13 years in A-10.
Thrilled to have him but wow...soooooo many questions here LOL
I looked it up and found this from his NYT Obit. "Curran, who never married, leaves no immediate survivors. His place of birth could not be confirmed."
Thanks for looking this up! Unless he had siblings who predeceased him he wouldn't even be a great uncle. Satisfies my idle curiosity.
Hopefully this is in the AD announcement
NewPatriot
Starter
It's obvious, Mason is the sleeping giant of the A10. Largest school in the A10. Largest school in the state. The only one with a growing enrollment. Sitting right in the middle of one of the two or three biggest hotbeds of hs and prep basketball.
He's always had to do more with less at St. Bonaventure. Imagine what he can do with all the great prep catholic, independent and aau teams in the area as a recruiting pool.
Its really a great opportunity.
illayin
Sixth Man
100%... I think this move is not lateral (and not a downgrade) for these reasons. This isn't about recent wins/losses... it's about visibility and proving himself. His goal is still to become a head coach and this gives him more of a chance to prove himself without the massive hurdle of convincing teenagers that Olean, NY, is the place for them.
I assume that's not quite it. More likely that people inside the A10 know how impressive the Bona program is, but people outside the A10 see three tournaments in 16 years with only one play-in game win. The AHC looks less sexy in that light, and an AD considering hiring him always needs to be able to sell the new HC to the fanbase. Curran may just have thought he got as far as Bona was going to take him, and he's ready for a change. Either way, Petey likey! Absolutely fantastic staff.
Glad he's home.
Tim Waterman
Recruit
Bona fan just visiting. Curran is a good assistant. We are sorry to lose him. The story that I am hearing is that he wanted an assurance that he would be next in line after Schmidt. He didn't get it, so he left. The guy is 53 and hasn't gotten a sniff of a head job. Mason will give him a different look and could be good for him.
I always love the talk about Olean on these boards. George Mason is 3-11 vs. SBU. I guess SBU is doing something right despite their location. To think a move to George Mason is a great upgrade? I have always thought of GMU as a commuter school without much of an identity, You do have a great band though.
I always love the talk about Olean on these boards. George Mason is 3-11 vs. SBU. I guess SBU is doing something right despite their location. To think a move to George Mason is a great upgrade? I have always thought of GMU as a commuter school without much of an identity, You do have a great band though.
A) being a commuter school is an identity, but Mason hasn’t really been a commuter school, in the traditional sense of the word, for over a decade. It is true that Fairfax isn’t a “college town” either despite having the largest university in the state.
B) yes, you are doing something right: it’s called having Mark Schmidt as your coach. Someone everyone on this board has been jealous of since we’ve joined the A-10.
C) as for why people here might be saying it is a better job: Mason spends more on basketball than Bona (by a not insignificant amount), better overall facilities than Bona, and is sitting right in the middle of the best HS basketball recruiting area in the country: meaning the potential here is so much higher than the results since Coach Larranaga left. It’s about projecting potential, not recent performance.
PS: we also wish we had a fanbase as great as Bona’s too.
Tim, Thanks for your insights on Curran leaving. I agree, the comments on here about Olean are odd. A good coach can recruit players regardless of location.
As far as Mason being a commuter school, we have four times as many students living on campus as SBU has total students.
As far as Mason being a commuter school, we have four times as many students living on campus as SBU has total students.
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GiantKiller.co
ByGeorge
Expat Hoops
Fourth Estate
Doc Nix and the Green Machine
Bill Bride - DMV Sports Shots
Patriot Brew Blog/Newsletter