FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason University men's basketball associate head coach Steve Curran has been named to the Silver Waves Media 2024 100 Rising Stars: Mid Major Assistants List.
 
It's the third time Curran has been recognized by Silver Waves Media in his collegiate coaching career. He also garnered recognition as one of the nation's "most impactful mid-major assistant coaches" in both 2020 and again in 2022. 
 
In his first season working under Mason head coach Tony Skinn ('06), Curran helped the Patriots reach 20 regular season wins for the first time since 2011-12 and a top-100 ranking for the first time since 2010-11.
 
George Mason's 13-2 start matched the 1983-84 team for the best in program history, while the Patriots tallied 11 non-conference wins this season for just the second time in the past 40 campaigns.
 
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.
 
Prior to his time at Mason, Curran served as a principal architect of St. Bonaventure's development into one of the Atlantic 10's preeminent powers while working alongside Mark Schmidt for 13 seasons. During that sustained stretch of excellence, the Bonnies posted five 20-win campaigns, captured three NCAA Tournament berths (2021, 2018, 2012) and made a pair of NIT appearances (2022, 2016).
 
Prior to coming to St. Bonaventure, Curran served as an assistant coach at Central Connecticut State for five seasons. Curran had previously worked as an assistant under Schmidt at Robert Morris from 2001-04.

During Curran's five seasons at CCSU, the Blue Devils posted a Northeast Conference record of 56-34 and went 46-22 at home, including 33-12 in home regular season NEC action.  In 2006-07, Curran helped the Blue Devils post a memorable run, winning 16 of 18 NEC games and three straight games in the NEC Tournament to advance to their third NCAA Tournament since 2000.
 
He began his assistant coaching career with stops at his alma mater, Merrimack (1994-99), as well as New Hampshire (1999-01), Robert Morris (2001-04) and Siena (2004-05).