FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason University athletics department mourns the loss of longtime men's basketball assistant coach Bill Courtney, who passed away on Monday.
 
Courtney served on Jim Larrañaga's staff from 1997-2005, helping lead the Patriots to the 1999 and 2001 NCAA Tournaments and two NIT appearances.
 
Courtney also recruited and mentored a number of the student-athletes from George Mason's 2006 Final Four team, including current head coach Tony Skinn ('06) and director of player development Lamar Butler ('06).
 
"Bill Courtney is one of the reasons I came to George Mason," Skinn said on Tuesday. "He lifted so many people with his spirit and he was always the happiest and most passionate guy in the room. I know he made that impact everywhere he went in life. This is a major loss for our college basketball community and I extend my deepest sympathies to Bill's family. He will be greatly missed."
 
A native of Alexandria, Va., Courtney coached basketball for more than 30 years, including his eight with the Patriots and six as the head coach at Cornell (2010-16).