July 10, 2007

George Mason men's basketball coach Jim Larranaga announced on Tuesday that Eric Konkol will return to George Mason as an assistant men's basketball coach. Konkol was an assistant for the team from 2002-05 and he returns to fill the position vacated by Scott Cherry, who leaves to become an assistant coach at Western Kentucky. Cherry was with the team for seven seasons.

Konkol comes to Mason after serving as an assistant coach at North Dakota State as well as coaching at Hopkins High School in Minnesota. He will assist in all aspects of the program from game preparation to recruiting.

"Eric was a valuable contributor in his first stint as a Patriot," Larranaga said. "We expect him to make a major contribution his second time around. No one is brighter or more dedicated than Eric. His intelligence both as a recruiter and a coach makes him a tremendous addition to our program."

Konkol began his coaching career as a student assistant at Tulsa during the 2000-01 season. In 2001-02, he was a graduate administrative assistant at Tennessee. He came to Mason in 2002-03 and spent three seasons with the program.

A 2000 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Konkol received a bachelor's degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in exercise management. He later earned a master's degree in sport management while at Tennessee.

Konkol played three years of basketball at UWEC and as a senior, he helped the team to a 27-6 mark and a spot in the national championship game. A native of Amherst, Wisconsin, Konkol and his wife, Meagan, return to Fairfax after two years away from Mason.