George Mason men's basketball head coach Kim English named I.J. Poole director of player personnel and scouting in April 2021.
Poole joins English’s staff after working with him at the University of Tennessee, where he served assistant to the head coach for Rick Barnes from 2019-21. It marked his second stint in Knoxville, as Poole previously was a graduate manager at UT from 2015-17.
“I mentioned when I came to Mason that our program would be one of the best incubators for great basketball coaching talent,” English said. “I.J. Poole fits that bill unequivocally. I was fortunate enough to work with I.J. for two seasons at Tennessee. His work ethic in scouting, his creativity in recruiting and his overall intellect for the game always made me know that if I ever had the opportunity to hire I.J., I would. I think he is a future coaching star.”
Prior to returning to Tennessee, Poole worked for two seasons on the full-time staff at Appalachian State. In 2017-18, he handled budget management, daily scheduling and team travel as director of basketball operations. He then was promoted to assistant coach for the 2018-19 campaign.
“I am thankful for the opportunity to join the Mason staff,” Poole said. “Having worked closely with Coach English over the past two seasons, I have witnessed his passion, energy and love for the game. He is an exceptional leader and I look forward to helping him build something special here. I also want to thank Coach Barnes and Coach Fox for giving me my start in the profession and being invaluable mentors in my life. I can’t wait to get started.”
Poole first worked with Barnes at the University of Texas, where he worked as a student manager. He was a part of two NCAA Tournament teams with the Longhorns, and Texas averaged 22 wins per season during that stretch.
“His resume as a student manager at Texas, GA at Tennessee and assistant coach at Appalachian State is comprehensive. I.J. is the total package," English added. "Our players love their interactions with him, and prospects and their families connect with him deeply on visits. I.J. was a big part of our recruiting success at Tennessee.”
The Austin, Texas, graduated from Texas in 2015 with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Biology.
