FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason University men's basketball head coach Tony Skinn ('06) has been named a finalist for the prestigious Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award, which is presented annually to the Division I head coach who wins with integrity on and off the court.
The Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award, presented by CollegeInsider.com, honors those who not only achieve success on the basketball court but who display moral integrity on and off it as well. Other finalists include Rick Barnes (Tennessee), Jon Scheyer (Duke) and Shaka Smart (Marquette).
For a full list of finalists,
click here.
In addition to this honor, Skinn also has been named a finalist for the Ben Jobe Award, presented to the nation's top Div. I minority head coach. Last season, he was named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award, given to the nation's top, first-time Div. I head coach.
This season, Skinn has led the Patriots to the best season in the program's A-10 history. The Green & Gold have set a new school record for Atlantic 10 league victories (14) and started league play 12-1 for the first time in the program's 59-year history. The Patriots have reached 23 regular season victories for the first time since 2011-12 and have locked up a double bye (and top-2 seed) in the A-10 Championship for the first time in school history.
George Mason's 17 home wins are a school record. The Patriots also swept their A-10 home schedule (9-0) for the first time ever and won five-straight A-10 road games for the first time in program annals. The team's 11-game win streak from Jan. 8-Feb. 18 was the second longest in the nation at the time and was just the fourth 10+ game winning streak in school history.
Skinn is the fastest George Mason coach to 40 wins in school history and his A-10 winning percentage (.657) is by far the best in the program's 12 years in the league. His overall winning percentage (.694) is the best of any George Mason coach over their first two seasons in Fairfax.
The Patriots have excelled in close games under Skinn's leadership. The Green & Gold are 6-0 in their last five contests decided by five points or less and 3-0 in their last three overtime games.
What's more, the Patriots' elite defense is ranked 22
nd nationally and the program is in the top-10 in field goal percentage defense and 2pt defense. The team's cumulative FG defense is currently tracking as a George Mason school record while its 3pt defense is second best all time.
The Patriots' have posted 20+ wins in each of Skinn's first two seasons at the helm of the program. He was a finalist last season for the Joe B. Hall Award, given annually to the best first-year head coach in the nation.
When combining his years as a student-athlete (3) and as a head coach (2), Skinn has totaled a 109-50 (.686) record over his five seasons in Fairfax.
About Skip Prosser
The Skip Prosser Man of the Year award honors those who not only achieve success on the basketball court but who display moral integrity on and off it as well.
In six years with the Deacons, Prosser posted a 126-68 record. For his career, he was 291-146 in 14 seasons including six as the head coach at Xavier and one year at Loyola (Md.). At Wake Forest, Prosser's teams averaged 21 wins per season while playing in arguably the nation's most difficult league, the Atlantic Coast Conference. Prosser won 100 games at an ACC school quicker than all but two coaches in the 55-year history of the conference.
He coached NBA stars Chris Paul and Josh Howard, led the Demon Deacons to the first No. 1 national ranking in school history and earned ACC Coach of the Year honors in 2003. Prosser passed away of an apparent heart attack on July 26, 2007 in his office at Wake Forest. He had just returned from his morning jog.
The 2025 Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award will be announced in San Antonio, TX, site of the men's Division I Basketball Championship.
