BOSTON – George Mason University men's basketball head coach Tony Skinn ('06) has been named a finalist for the 2024 Joe B. Hall Award, presented annually to the top rookie, first-year men's basketball Division I head coach.
 
In his inaugural head coaching campaign at his alma mater, Skinn led George Mason to 20 regular season wins for the first time since 2011-12 and a top-100 ranking for the first time since 2010-11. Those 20 wins ranked fifth-most amongst first-time head coach-led programs in the nation and are tied for the second-most in school history by a first-year Mason head coach.
 
George Mason's 13-2 start matched the 1983-84 team for the best in program history and is the top start by a first-year Mason bench boss. The Patriots tallied 11 non-conference wins this season for just the second time in the past 40 campaigns, and the team's non-conference winning percentage (.846) was tops in the nation for a program led by a first-time head coach.
 
The Patriots earned four top-100 NET victories and defeated two teams which qualified for the NCAA Tournament (Dayton, South Dakota State). George Mason's win over #16 Dayton was its first ever over a ranked foe at home and also marked the highest-ranked win by a Patriot program in regular season history.
 
Skinn proved instrumental in the development of a number of key players on the Patriot roster. Keyshawn Hall put together a breakout season while earning First Team NABC All-District honors and freshman sensation Baraka Okojie earned a spot on the A-10 All-Rookie Team.
 
In addition, senior guard Darius Maddox (14.0 ppg vs. 8.5 ppg) and graduate forward Amari Kelly (12.2 ppg, 7.8 ppg) significantly increased their production in their first season playing for the Patriots.
 
Skinn returned to his alma mater in April to become the 12^th head coach in program history. A two-time All-CAA selection with the Patriots from 2003-06, Skinn scored 1,079 career points while starting 68 games in his George Mason career. During the 2006 NCAA Tournament, he averaged 11.3 points and shot 35 percent from 3pt range while leading the Patriots to the national semifinals.   
 
A 2012 Olympian with the Nigerian National Team, Skinn enjoyed nearly a decade-long playing career overseas before embarking on a collegiate coaching career which included assistant coach stops at Louisiana Tech, Seton Hall, Ohio State and Maryland. During his time as an assistant, he helped guide three different programs to the NCAA Tournament, was a part of six 20+ win campaigns and established himself as a stout recruiter both within the talent-rich DMV and across the country. 
 
Presented by CollegeInsider.com, the Joe B. Hall Award is named for longtime Kentucky head coach
Joe B. Hall, who took over the program from Adolph Rupp in Lexington in 1972. He won two-thirds of his games (297-100), received four SEC Coach of the Year honors, and won a National Championship in 1978. He also steered the program to two other Final Fours, won eight Southeastern Conference regular season championships and one Southeastern Conference tournament championship (1984).
 
The winner of the 2024 Joe B. Hall Award will be announced the 2024 Final Four in April.
 
2024 Joe B. Hall Award Finalists
Adrian Autry, Syracuse
Chad Boudreau, Western Illinois
Chris Casey, Fairfield
Aaron Fearne, Charlotte
Ross Hodge, North Texas
Bryan Hodgson, Arkansas State
Alan Huss, High Point
Matt Logie, Montana State
Phil Martelli Jr., Bryant
Chris Mudge, Sam Houston State
Tevon Saddler, Nicholls State
Jim Shaw, Texas A&M Corpus Christi
Duane Simpkins, American
Tony Skinn, George Mason
K.T. Turner, UT Arlington
Sundance Wicks, Green Bay